Hello everyone! Today we will be making a wonderful sweet and savory dish whose origin is from Morocco. Chicken Tagine with Honey and Apricots is a sweet and savory chicken stew that is finished with a thick sauce of honey, apricots, and cinnamon, and topped with dried whole and sliced almonds, sesame seeds, and fresh chopped Cilantro.
Come along as we make this super flavorful warming chicken stew!
Ingredients:
For the Meat:
1/2 Chicken (Breast, Thigh, Wing, Drum Stick) or about 3 lbs of meat.
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Ras el Hanout – 1 tsp
Sea Salt 1 tsp
Saffron Threads – 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper – 1 tsp
White Pepper (Optional) – 1/4 tsp
Olive Oil – 2 Tbsp
Yellow Onion – 1, Diced
Cinnamon Sticks – 3 Qty
Water (or Chicken Broth) – 1 1/2 Cups
Ground Cinnamon – 1 Tbsp
Fresh Cilantro – 5-8 Sprigs
For the Sauce:
Dried Apricots – 1 lb
Corn Starch – 1-2 Tbsp
Cold Water – 2 Tbsp
Honey – 4-8oz
Fresh Garlic – 4-5 Cloves
For the Cous Cous:
Dried Cous Cous – 1 Cup
Boiling Water (or Chicken Broth) – 1 Cup
For the Garnish:
Fried Whole Almonds – 3oz
Fried Sliced Almonds – 3oz
Toasted Sesame Seeds – 2 Tbsp
Fresh Cilantro – 1-3 Sprigs
Instructions:
Pre-heat cast iron or heavy bottom pan until hot, while that is heating, combine spices for meat and oil and coat evenly over chicken, it’s best if you can marinate this for a few hours but if not that’s fine. While meat is soaking up spices dice your onion. Oil the pan once hot ensuring oil contacts entire surface of bottom of pan, then add in chicken one piece at a time, cook until brown, then add in diced onions 🔪🧅. Once onions have some color, add in 1.5 Cups water an scrape bottom of pan to release browned goodies. Add chopped cilantro. Cover with lid and place in oven set to 350F for 2 hours.
Now lets make our sauce: Once pot comes out of oven remove lid (watch out it’s 🔥!) and remove chicken 🐓 to plate. Slice your garlic cloves. Bring up heat on stove to medium and begin boiling liquid to reduce it. Once it’s reduced (about 5-10 minutes) reduce heat to sinner and stir in honey and sliced garlic cloves, and in a small bowl mix together cold water (make by adding one cube of ice to cup and 1/4 cup of water, then take 2 Tbsp from this) and starch until you have a paste. Drizzle the paste into the pot of liquid and stir until you notice sauce begin to thicken, don’t overdo it here as too much starch will make your sauce too thick. Add in apricots at the end to avoid making them too soft. Add in chicken and spoon sauce over chicken. Plate with serving of Cous Cous and garnish with fried whole and sliced almonds, toasted sesame seeds, and chopped cilantro.
Bon appetite!