My Moroccan-style Chicken Tagine
I love Moroccan food and have a particular soft spot for tagines. While this dish takes its inspiration from traditional North African cooking it doesn’t have to be cooked in a tagine. It’s a more accessible way for the family to enjoy an aromatic, gently spiced meal that could otherwise take hours to prepare.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 chicken Marylands (leg quarters), each cut into 3 pieces (ask your butcher to do this for you)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 brown onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 100 g (3½ oz) fresh dates, pitted
- 150 g (5½ oz) dried apricots
- coarsely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish
Couscous (see page below recipe), to serve
METHOD
- Combine all the spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl and add the chicken pieces.
Mix well, making sure that all the chicken is well coated with the spice blend, then set aside. - Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan or enamelled cast-iron casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and chicken and cook for 5–7 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.
- Pour over 300 ml (10½ fl oz) of water, or enough to cover the chicken pieces, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and gently simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the dates and apricots and cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is nicely cooked and starting to fall off the bone. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt as desired.
- Sprinkle with coriander and serve with couscous.
COUSCOUS
- 200 g (7 oz/1 cup) couscous
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
METHOD
- To make the couscous, preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F). Spread out the couscous in a large ovenproof dish and pour over 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) of cold water. Mix together and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
- Use a fork to separate the grains of couscous until light, fluffy and well separated. Add the salt and olive oil and mix until the couscous grains are nicely coated.
- Cover with foil and heat through in the oven for 25–30 minutes, then remove and cover with a tea towel to keep warm until you are ready to serve.
As seen in my fourth book More Please! — recipe by Manu Feildel, photography by Rob Palmer, published by Murdoch Books Australia.
