Chicken, Date and Honey Tagine
Main
Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground saffron (1/4 tspn tumeric if no saffron)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 (1.2kg) chicken thigh cutlets
30 g butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large (200g) onion chopped
1 cinnamon stick
11/2 cups (375ml) water
6 (150g) seedless fresh dates
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup (40g) blanched almonds toasted
SAFFRON COUSCOUS:
2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
pinch ground saffron (use tumeric if no saffron)
2 cups (300g) couscous
40 g butter
Directions
Rub combined salt, pepper, saffron and cumin onto chicken, cover, refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Heat butter and oil in large pan, add chicken, cook until browned; remove from pan. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from pan, add onion and cinnamon to pan, cook, stirring, until onion is soft.
Return chicken to pan, add water, simmer, covered, about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Just before serving, add dates and honey, simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve tagine with saffron couscous, sprinkled with nuts.
**Saffron Couscous: **: Boil stock in pan with saffron, remove from heat, stir in couscous, stand 5 minutes; fluff with a fork. Heat butter in pan, add couscous, cook, stirring, until combined.
Boil stock in pan with saffron, remove from heat, stir in couscous, stand 5 minutes; fluff with a fork. Heat butter in pan, add couscous, cook, stirring, until combined.
Notes
Can be made with beef.
Can be made with reduced butter.
Recipe can be made a day ahead.
Storage: Covered, in refrigerator.
Freeze: Tagine suitable. Couscous not suitable.
Microwave: Not suitable.
Slow cooker: Not suitable.
Pressure cooker: Suitable.
Conventional oven: Suitable.