This easy and delicious recipe will fragrance your house with the spices of Morocco and take your tastebuds on a Moorish journey. Don't be put off by the long prep time - that's just time absorb the spice rub!
Ingredients
about 1kg chicken pieces (I used a mix of drumsticks and thighs)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground ginger
1.5 Tbsp ground turmeric
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp argan oil (I used rapeseed)
3 large onions, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
200ml tomato juice
1x400g tin chopped tomatoes
100g dried apricots, halved
75g raisins or sultanas
1 preserved lemon, chopped
100 g blanched flaked almonds
1 tsp strands saffron, soaked in cold water
450ml chicken stock
2 Tbsp runny honey
Instructions
Place the cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover with cling film and leave overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 150C.
Heat 1.5 Tbsp each of the olive oil and argan oil in a large heavy frying pan. Add the onions and the remaining spice mix and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the garlic for the final 3 minutes.
Scoop the onion mix out of the pan and into an large (5 litre) ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven.
Heat the remaining oil in the onions pan and when it is really hot place the chicken pieces skin side down in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes (use a splatter screen - it's going to sizzle and spit!). Turn over and cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place in the casserole dish.
Pour 200ml tomato juice into the pan and stir well, scraping up all the bits on the bottom. Add the chopped tomatoes, apricots, preserved lemon, raisins, flaked almonds, saffron, stock and honey and when heated through, pour the contents of the pan into the casserole dish.
Cover with a tightly fitting lid and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Serve on cous cous.
Recipe by Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography at https://www.cooksister.com/2010/04/moroccan-chicken-tagine.html