Apricot Chicken Tagine with Cilantro Couscous

By flour_arrangements

A flavorful and aromatic dish that's healthy; recipe from About.com. The apricots and raisins taste even sweeter against the cinnamon and cumin covered chicken pieces.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 4 chicken quarters
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 sweet onion
• 3 chopped shallots
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 3 dried ancho chilis, rehydrated (soaked in boiling water)
• 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1/3 cup dried apricots
• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 TBSP preserved lemon
• 4 fresh apricots, pitted and halved
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Cilantro (optional garnish)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from dairyfreecooking.about.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350 (the original recipe says to bake the chicken at 450 for 45 minutes, but this dried out the chicken; I suggest baking it at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes)

2. Combine 1 tsp cinnamon and ginger, 1 tsp cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt in a small dish. In another small dish, combine lemon zest and juice; set aside.

3. Dip each piece of chicken into the lemon and zest mixture, placing the chicken in a large baking sheet/dish. Dust an equal amount of the spice mixture over each piece, rubbing in the spices until evenly coated. Cover sheet or dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes, until chicken is golden brown but still moist.

4. While chicken is roasting, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots, and garlic -- cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of cumin, paprika, turmeric, and chili peppers, then cook for 2 minutes more.

5. To the skillet, add the tomatoes, broth, raisins, cashews, and dried apricots; allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes. (The sauce should still resemble a broth; add additional broth or water i sauce thickens too quickly.)

6. Add the fresh apricots, preserved lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. (you may not need to add any salt; both the broth and lemon contribute to the dish's savory quality.)

7. While the sauce is simmering, combine the couscous with 1 1/2 cups water in a medium-sized saucepan. Over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, bring couscous to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer until the water has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the couscous rest for about 15 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork, adding 1 tsp oil, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.

8. Place roast chicken on a bed of couscous, and generously ladle the warm sauce over the chicken, garnishing with sprigs of cilantro or fresh greens if desired.