TAGINE POT: HONEY & CARMADON CHICKEN WITH OLIVES & CHICKPEAS

The Tagine Pot is typically made from terracotta and has been used in the North African region for centuries to cook meat, pultry, vegetables and fruit. The Tagine cooks slowly so the finished dish is full of moisture and flavor. North Africans discovered these types of dishes traveling to Morocco. This dish is mild in flavor and a nice introduction to this style of international cooking.

-Terri Glassman

Ingredients

8 plump chicken thighs

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp cardamon

2 tbsp honey

1 1/2 inch chunk of fresh ginger root, finely grated

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Pinch of dried chili flakes (optional)

6 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large red onion, finely sliced

1 3/4 cups of good chicken stock

14 12/oz can of chickpeas, drained

2 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped

Handful of pitted olives

Generous handful of fresh coriander (or parsley), finely chopped

Directions

Place the chicken thighs into a shallow dish

Grind cumin seeds into coarse powder and place in a bowl

Add cardamom seeds to bowl of cumin

Stir in honey, grated ginger, garlic, chili (if using) and 4 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour the mixture over the chicken thighs. Leave to marinate a couple hours if possible

Heath the remain olive oil in a frying pan, remove the chicken from the marinade and gently fry the chicken until golden brown all over. Transfer the browned chicken to the Tagine and pour over any left over marinade. Scatter the onion slices over and pour in the chicken stock. Stir in drained chickpeas, chopped tomatoes and olives

Put the lid onto the Tagine and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for one hour until the chicken is tender. Stir in the chopped corriander and serve immediately with couscous or rice