96. Chicken tagine with couscous















Ingredients

For the tagine:
4 tbsp Olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Onions, chopped
2 tsp grated Ginger
1 1/2-2 tbsp Coriander seeds, crushed
3 tsp Cumin seeds, crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
2-3 tbsp Honey
1 x 2.25kg chicken, jointed and skinned

For the couscous:
500g Couscous
4 tbsp Olive oil
1 lemon, juice only
500ml boiling chicken stock
3 tbsp chopped Coriander, mint or parsley
2 satsumas, peeled and chopped

To serve:
lemon wedges
Greek yogurt


Method

1. For the tagine: heat the oil in a large saucepan (wide enough to hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer). Add the garlic, onions, ginger and the spices. Season with salt and pepper and cook over a low heat with the lid on for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft.

2. Add the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes and honey and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick.

3. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and cover with the sauce. Simmer over a low heat with the lid on, stirring from time to time, for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. For the couscous: put the couscous in a bowl, add the oil and lemon juice and mix well to coat the grains. Pour over the boiling stock and season with salt and pepper.

5. Cover and leave to sit in a warm place until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains and stir in the herbs and satsuma pieces.

6. To serve: serve the tagine with the couscous, lemon wedges and cooling spoonfuls of yogurt.

Cook's note:
If you don't have a pan big enough to hold the chicken pieces in a single layer, put the chicken in a roasting tin at step 3. Cover with the sauce and cook in a preheated oven at 180C/gas 4 for 30-40 minutes.