Name: Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 4 pcs chicken thighs; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pc onion; 2 pcs carrot; 3 cloves garlic; 20 g ginger; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon bell pepper; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 tin chickpeas; 120 g dried apricots; 400 ml poultry stock; 1 pc lemon; 1 tablespoon honey; salt; black pepper; coriander; 250 g couscous; 300 ml water; 1 tablespoon olive oil; salt

Step by step process

Preparation

1
For the chicken tagine, prepare all the ingredients first. Pat the thighs dry and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Slice the onion into thin half-moons and cut the carrot into diagonal slices. Finely chop the garlic and ginger.
2
Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice from one half and slice the other into wedges. They will add a fresh tang to the finished dish.

Braising

3
Heat the olive oil in a pot. Sear the chicken thighs briefly on both sides until golden, then set them aside. The meat will stay juicy this way.
4
Add the onion and carrot to the same pot and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, sweet paprika, turmeric, and cinnamon. Cook only briefly so the spices do not turn bitter.
TIP:
Briefly fry ground spices, curry pastes, and aromatic blends in fat, usually for just a few dozen seconds. The heat brings out their aroma and flavor, but watch them carefully so they do not burn and turn bitter.
5
Add the tomato paste, chickpeas, and dried apricots, then return the chicken to the pot. Pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce thickens slightly.
6
At the end, taste the sauce and season it with salt and pepper. For a fuller flavor, stir in a spoonful of honey.

Couscous

7
Put the couscous in a bowl and mix it with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Pour over the boiling water, cover, and let it stand for 5 minutes. The couscous will absorb all the liquid.
TIP:
First, mix the couscous with a little oil, pour over the measured amount of boiling liquid, and cover. After a few minutes, fluff it with a fork so it stays light and separate.
8
Fluff the couscous with a fork. The grains separate and the side dish stays light and airy.

Serving

9
Divide the couscous among the plates. Top it with the braised chicken, chickpeas, and apricots. Spoon some of the fragrant sauce over each portion.
10
Sprinkle the finished tagine with cilantro and serve it hot. Add the lemon wedges so everyone can squeeze some over their portion.