Description
Adapted from a recipe by La Maison Arabe, this warming, iconic Moroccan dish is perfect for a winter evening. The melt-in-your-mouth chicken is redolent with spices, and the apricots add a touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 whole chicken (2 pounds), cut into large pieces
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- 1½ cups water
- parsley and cilantro bouquet
- 16 dried apricots
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup whole almonds, blanched and lightly fried in olive oil
Instructions
- In a tagine or large heavy pot, drizzle the olive oil.
- Add the meat, onion, salt, pepper, cinnamon stick, ginger, turmeric, and saffron.
- Mix well so the meat is coated with the spices.
- On medium heat, sear the chicken for about 15 minutes, covered, turning it occasionally and adding a bit of water if necessary.
- Watch the chicken closely so it doesn’t stick and so the spices don’t burn.
- Add the water to the pot, along with the parsley and cilantro bouquet.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, cover, and cook for about 50 minutes, or until the meat is falling from the bone and the sauce has thickened.
- While the meat is cooking, caramelize the apricots.
- Rinse the apricots and put them in a small saucepan.
- Add the cinnamon and cloves and mix well.
- Cover the apricots with water and cook them on medium heat, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Lower the heat and continue cooking for 15 more minutes.
- Add the honey and cook for another 10 minutes until the sauce becomes syrupy.
- Before serving, remove the herb bouquet and cinnamon sticks from the tagine.
- Transfer the chicken from the pot to a serving dish.
- Add the apricot syrup and butter to the sauce and stir until the butter is melted.
- Season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the meat.
- Arrange the caramelized apricots and fried almonds evenly over the meat.
- Serve hot with crusty bread.
- Category: main course
- Cuisine: Moroccan