Chicken Tagine with Squash or Apricots

Recipe for: CHICKEN TAGINE(with squash or apricots)

Ingredients: 

• 2 large chicken breasts, skin on, cut into 2/3 pieces each (or use thighs)
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 200g/ 7oz shallots or onions
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled & sliced
• 4cm piece ginger, peeled & grated
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 small cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Large pinch saffron threads
• Pinch chilli powder
• 375g/ 13oz butternut squash, peeled & cubed (don’t use sweet potato – too soft) OR 100g dried apricots, halved if large
• 500ml/ 18 fl oz chicken stock
• 1 rounded tblsp clear honey
• 2 tblsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method: 

1. heat oven to 180c/ 160C fan/ gas 4
2. season the large chunks of chicken
3. heat oil in flameproof casserole, add chicken skin-side down & brown all over in hot oil
4. remove from pan & set aside
5. add shallots/ onions & brown all over
6. add garlic & grated ginger, cook for 30 seconds
7. add all spices & cook for 60 seconds
8. add butternut squash (if using, or omit this step) & stir to coat in the spices
9. arrange chicken pieces on top of onions/ squash
10. pour over stock, then drizzle in honey
11. bring to gentle simmer, then put lid on casserole & put in the oven
12. bake for 10-15 minutes, then add apricots (if using these instead of squash)
13.  turn heat down to 150C/ 130C fan & cook for further 30 minutes
14. just before dish is ready, stir in most of fresh coriander, reserving a little to scatter over as the dish is brought to table

What else you need to know: 

1. serve with a bowl of couscous.  There should be plenty of liquor in the tagine to lubricate a lot of couscous.