Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Apricots and Harissa Sauce 

This recipe is an adaptation of a Bobby Flay recipe

Olive oil 8 chicken thighs (I used 4 drumsticks and 4 chicken thighs) Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ras al-hanut (a mix of Moroccan spices that you should be able to find at specialty/gourmet markets)
Large pinch saffron, soaked in 1/4 cup warm water
1 cinnamon stick
15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup dried apricots, sliced into half moons
1 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
Harissa (paste of chilies, garlic, and spices – available at specialty/gourmet markets)
Creme fraiche
Couscous

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

1) Make the harissa sauce that will serve as a condiment by mixing together 1/2 cup creme fraiche with 1 tablespoon harissa.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

2) In a Le Creuset dutch oven or tagine heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot skin side down cooking for about 2 minutes on each side just to brown them and then remove to a plate and set aside.  You might need to work in batches here – best not to crowd the pot.

3) If necessary remove or add some of the oil from the pot – you want about 2 tablespoons.  Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.  Add the ras al-hanut and cook for 30 seconds.  (The aromas will be released by the heat – so amazing!)  Add the saffron and liquid, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chickpeas, and apricots.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the cup of water, honey, and add salt to taste.

4) Nestle the chicken into the mixture and place the lid on the pot and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes without removing the lid.

5) Make the couscous according to the directions on the box.  

To serve add a heap of couscous to the plate topping with the chicken and dollop with the harissa sauce (the harissa sauce is spicy so add according to your taste).  Garnish with the parsley and cilantro.

The perfect accompaniment to this lightly spicy dish is Mara's cool cucumber salad with pita.

Enjoy! 

Moroccan Style Chicken with Couscous

For the marinade:

1 Cup olive oil
1/2 Cup red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground coriander
2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 Teaspoons salt
2 Teaspoons sugar
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper

You can use this marinade for any kind of chicken you like: legs, breast, tenders. I usually buy chicken breast and either cut into 1 inch pieces to make kabobs or I’ll cut the chicken into strips and put them on sticks (the sticks are totally unnecessary – I just do it for effect sometimes). Cooking them as they are is great too.

Also, this makes plenty of marinade so you can easily make this for a crowd.

1) Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a medium-sized bowl (or large bowl if you plan to make a lot of chicken) and stir to combine. I reserve 1/4 Cup of this marinade for flavoring the couscous – set aside before adding the chicken. Add the chicken and stir so that all the chicken is coated in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for a 1/2 hour or longer. The longer it marinates the more flavorful the chicken!

2) Cook the marinated chicken on a grill outside or cook inside in a pan on your stove over medium to hot heat. To test when the pan is ready I flick a little water onto the pan and if there is an immediate sizzle sound then you know it’s ready to go! Make sure to allow the excess marinade to drip off the chicken before placing in the pan – you can even use a paper towel to remove the excess. This is especially important when cooking with a pan because on a grill the excess will drip down into the flames, but in a pan the excess marinade will cook the chicken differently (it’ll boil instead of fry). Also, I find that the marinated chicken cooks really well without oil added to the pan.

For the couscous:

1 Cup of dried couscous (follow instructions on the box)
The juice of one lemon
1/4 Cup of the Moroccan marinade from above
1/4 Cup chopped cucumber
1/4 Cup chopped grape tomatoes or regular tomatoes – whichever you have
Salt to taste
1) Make the couscous according to the directions on the box.

2) Chop the cucumber and grape tomatoes.

3) When the couscous is finished cooking but is still warm use a fork to fluff it up and add it to a medium to large bowl. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, lemon juice, and the marinade that was set aside. Stir together and taste. Add salt if necessary.

Serve this couscous with the chicken and enjoy!