This recipe takes me straight back to my time in Morocco with my son. What an experience and the food was simply divine.
Ingredients
1 cup dried apricot, halved (Note 1)
6 x 220g / 7 oz chicken thighs , bone-in skin-on (Note 2)
3/4 tsp salt (cooking/kosher salt)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion (brown/yellow), cut into 0.3 cm/ 1/8" slices
2 garlic cloves , finely minced
1 cinnamon stick (sub 1/2 tsp powder)
400 g / 14 oz crushed tomato (1 can)
400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas , drained (Note 10)
1 tbsp preserved lemon skin , finely minced (Note 3)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, low-sodium (or homemade)
Ras el Hanout Spice Blend
1 tsp cooking salt
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp allspice powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/8 tsp clove powder
For Serving:
Couscous – plain or with fruit and/or nuts
2 tbsp fresh coriander , roughly chopped
Alternative add in options:
1 cup kalamata olives (instead of apricots) or you can add these at the end and let them cook a little.
Instructions
Plump apricots – Soak the dried apricots in a bowl of boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain (this plumps them up).
Season chicken – Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the salt.
Brown chicken – Heat oil the oil in a large, deep skillet over high heat. Place chicken in the skillet skin side down and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden. Turn and cook the flesh side for 1 minute then remove to a plate.
Sauté aromatics & spices – Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Ras el hanout and stir for 30 seconds.
Tagine sauce – Add the cinnamon stick, tomato, chickpeas, plumped apricots, stock and preserved lemon, then stir. Place the chicken on top, skin side up.
Simmer covered 5 minutes – Bring the liquid to a simmer then cover with a lid . Cook for 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed so the liquid is simmering (you don’t want it too rapild as the base may catch and start to stick. Be careful :)
Simmer uncovered 20 minutes – Remove lid then cook for a further 20 minutes. After 20 minutes and the sauce has reduced, you can leave it here or transfer it to a tagine and put it in the oven low and slow - that’s what I like to do. It’s mostly for optics tho, I like the look of the meal in the tagine. That being said, I do think this softens the chicken even more and makes it super delicious. But, if you don’t have a tagine, don’t worry, stove top is fine.
Serve – Remove from stove and rest for 5 minutes. Serve over couscous and sprinkle with fresh coriander.
Recipe Notes:
1. Dried apricots – Dried fruit like apricots and figs are sometimes added to traditional tagines. I’ve chosen apricots but you can leave them out or sub as you see fit! See Note 7 if you prefer olives instead of fruit.
2. Best chicken cut for tagine is bone-in, skin-on thighs as it yields the juiciest result. However, drumsticks will also work (use 10). For boneless thighs, sear for a couple of minutes on each side, remove, then make the sauce per recipe and just add the chicken back into the sauce for the last 5 minutes. For breast, I think the best way would be to fully cook it through in the pan, make the sauce per recipe, then cut the chicken into thick slices and toss it through the sauce just before serving.
3. Preserved lemon – An ingredient used in Moroccan and Indian cooking, this is lemon that is pickled in salt. The sharpness of lemon juices is mellowed and the earthiness of lemon flavour in the zest is intensified. Adds a touch of authenticity to tagines but don’t fret if you can’t find it, tagine is still worth making without it. Available at most large grocery stores in Australia.
TO PREPARE: We only use the rind as this is where all the flavour is! Take a piece out of the jar and scrape off the pith and pulp using a teaspoon. Rinse the rind thoroughly under tap water to remove excess salt then finely mince it with a knife.
4. Spices – You won’t be left lacking if you are missing a spice (maybe even two). Make up for it by dialling up the ones you have.
5. Cooking vessel – If you have an actual tagine, kudos to you! I use my 30cm / 12″ wide shallow cast iron casserole dish. Any large deep skillet or big pot will work fine. If it has a lid, even better. If not, don’t worry – just cover with a baking tray or foil for the covered simmering step.
6. Internal temp – Chicken thighs are a nice juicy cut so you can cook it well over the target internal temp – even as high as 85°C/185°F – and it’s still juicy. (Can’t say the same for breast!).
7. Olive option – Skip the dried apricots, use 1 cup of kalamata olives, pitted, or green olives. No need to plump them up! Add in with the tomato.
My personal preference is not to use both dried fruit and olives (I just don’t really enjoy the combination, it’s too much competing flavours). Feel free to use both together if you prefer!
8. Nuts – Slivered almonds, lightly toasted until golden in a dry skillet, go really nicely in tagines.
9. Couscous – I use the recipe off the back of the couscous box. But, you can also make this with rice if that’s your preference. I would highly recommend couscous tho.
10. Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge. It freezes well too. Cool down and freeze in an airtight container. Consider making portion sizes so you can take for lunch or let kids head up on busy week nights.
