Middle Eastern Chicken Tagine Recipe

Directions:

1. This is traditionally cooked in a tagine but I do it in a cast iron enamelled casserole dish
2. Heat your oven to 350 F .
3. Place the sea salt , spice mix and chicken pieces in a plastic bag and shake to coat .
4. Heat the oil in your chosen cooking pot .It needs to be hot to brown the chicken ,not stew it .
5. Add the chicken ,2 or 3 pieces at a time ,and brown all over .
6. Remove as browned and set aside .
7. Add the onion,ginger ,garlic ,and chilli and cook for 3 minutes ,stirring around .
8. Add tomato paste ,saffron threads,thyme ,lemon zest and juice ,honey ,apricots , carrot and wine .
9. Bring to a simmer ,stirring all the time .
10. Return the chicken to the pot
11. Crumble in the stock cubes and add just enough water to barely cover the chicken .
12. Cover and bring to the simmer again
13. Place in the oven and cook slowly till the chicken is tender
14. When ready ,stir through the pistachio nuts
15. Serve on a bed of couscous with mint sprigs as garnish
16. Finish off with a dollop of natural yoghurt on top .
17. If you use a tagine ,this will be cooked on the stove top obviously but I've never bought one ,preferring to use what I have in the kitchen already.