Chicken Tagine

This is a lovely aromatic dish that will fill your kitchen with the aromas of sweet warm spices. You can make it in a traditional tagine, a conical-shaped roasting dish, or in a covered casserole dish. Serve over saffron rice.

 

Serves 4

 

3 skin-on, bone-in chicken legs (thigh and drumstick)

Oil, to brown the meat

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp ground coriander powder

½ tsp cardamom

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp chili flakes

4 carrots, thinly sliced

1 small onion, cut into wedges

1 generous handful black and green olives

10 whole peeled cloves garlic

1 handful raisins

10 whole dried apricots

1 small bulb fennel, cut into thin wedges

1 lemon, cut into thin slices

¼ cup honey

1 handful coarsely chopped cilantro

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

 

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease the bottom and inside the conical top of a tagine (can also use a casserole dish with lid).

Cut chicken pieces into the thigh and drumstick. Set pieces on a large plate.

In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric and chili flakes. Rub the mixture all over the chicken pieces. Do not discard any excess spice.

Meanwhile, in the bottom of the tagine or casserole dish, place the carrots, then top with the onion, olives, garlic, raisins, apricots, fennel, and lemon. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add some oil to the bottom of the pan and then add the chicken pieces. Brown all over.

Transfer all remaining spice, including leftover spice on the plate that had the chicken to the vegetables. Place the browned chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. Drizzle over the honey; cover with the lid and bake for about 75 minutes, until chicken has cooked through.

Remove from oven and garnish with the cilantro and pomegranate seeds. Serve with saffron scented rice.