Chicken tagine

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5cm pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
• 2 onions, grated
• 50g dried apricots, soaked in a little water
• 25g flaked almonds
• 25g sultanas or raisins
• 1 teaspoon runny honey
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands, soaked in a little cold water
• 300ml tomato juice
• 300ml chicken stock
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Method

Mix all the spices together. Coat the chicken with half the spice mixture and leave overnight preferably, or for at least 2 hours. 

In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil and brown the chicken over a high heat. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add the remaining spice mixture, the crushed garlic and grated onions to the pan. 

Allow the onions to soften without browning. 

Add the apricots and their soaking water, the almonds, raisins or sultanas, honey, saffron and its liquid, tomato juice, chicken stock and tomatoes. 

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium heat and cook until the sauce has thickened considerably, this should take about 20 minutes. 

Add the chicken and cook for a further 20 minutes. Fold in the chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Related: how to cook couscous

Per serving:

356 kcals, 9g fat, 1g saturated fat, 26g carbohydrate, 0.42g sodium