Chicken Tagine with Dates and Honey

After our idyllic honeymoon in the snow in Whistler baking Choc Chip Cookies, we were obsessed with finding a way to spend another season skiing. The only way to do it was to find jobs in the ski-fields, and since we were spending the summer in London, the perfect place to look for work was with one of the many catered chalet companies run by British companies in the ski-fields of Europe. Our job was to manage a chalet for 14 people in the French Alps; cooking, cleaning and ski-guiding for them. 6 nights a week I had to produce a three course meal for 14, but since the guests only stayed for a week, I had one weekly plan that I rotated over and over again for 5 months. I got very good at making those dishes, and pretty sick of eating them by the end of the season.

A few of them have made their way back onto our menu again, though. The dishes that were so tasty that you just keep coming back. This Chicken Tagine is one of those - the flavours and smell of the spices when you cook it are heavenly! It’s very easy to make and a nice change of cuisine from our usual European, Asian and Mexican, of course inspired food. I have always been a big fan of Middle Eastern food, and this dish is a good example of why.

8 (880g) lean chicken thigh fillets (or breast)
cooking oil spray
2 medium (300g) onions, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1½ teaspoons ground coriander (cilantro)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon chilli powder
1½ cups (375ml) chicken stock
1 cup (250ml) water
½ cup seedless dates, halved
¼ cup (60ml) honey
¼ cup (40g) blanched almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

Slice chicken into strips. Coat a large saute pan or flame-proof casserole dish with cooking spray and cook chicken in batches until browned all over. Set aside.

Cook onion, garlic and spices in same pan, stirring until onion is soft. Return chicken to dish with stock and water and bring to the boil.

Bake, covered, in a 180C oven for 1 hour, then remove cover and bake for a further 45 minutes or until chicken is very tender and the mixture has thickened slightly. Check regularly to make sure it is not too dry and if so, add more water or stock.

Remove from oven and stir through dates, honey and almonds. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve with couscous or rice.

Enjoy!

Source: Women’s Weekly