Combining fruit with meat, poultry, or fish is typical of North African cuisine, and with a spicy marinade, the overall flavour is not too sweet. As with many tagine or casserole dishes, the flavours do improve when made a day ahead.
Main INGREDIENTS
- Meat
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 1/4 pounds) chicken thighs, skinned
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 125ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine
- finely grated zest of 1 large orange
- 125g (3/4 cup) ready-to-eat dried apricots, cut into quarters
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander, to garnish
For the marinade:
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped finely
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) orange juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- This recipe can also be made with diced leg of lamb, in which case allow another hour for cooking.
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Method
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1To make the marinade, mix all the marinade ingredients in a large flat dish. Add the chicken thighs and turn them in the marinade so they are well coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
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2Heat the oil in the tagine base over medium heat on the hob. Add the onion and fry gently until it is just beginning to brown; remove from the pan.
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3Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Add the chicken pieces to the tagine and fry until they are evenly brown.
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4Return the onion to the tagine with the sugar, wine, and orange zest. Stir well and add a little more salt and pepper.
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5Cover with the tagine lid and simmer over very low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
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6Add the apricots, re-cover, and continue simmering for 1 1/2 hours until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
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7When the chicken is cooked, remove the lid and boil the sauce for a few minutes until it becomes syrupy. Sprinkle liberally with the chopped coriander and serve with plain steamed couscous, or boiled, plain long-grain rice.
Cook's Notes
This recipe can also be made with diced leg of lamb, in which case allow another hour for cooking.
Since this dish is both spicy and sweet, it is well suited to a slightly sweet German Riesling or Gewürtztraminer. Try a Spatlese level of sweetness for best results.
