Chicken Tajine

Algerian or Moroccan depending upon your point of view

Ingredients:

• 12 chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat and skin
• Juice of one lemon (keep the pieces)
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 large red onions peeled and very finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic crushed or finely chopped
• 1 tsp. of ground cumin
• 1 tsp. of saffron
• 25 ml of olive oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 0.5l of chicken stock (bought chilled fresh)
• 250g of dried apricots
• 3 tsp.'s of honey
• 2 tbl spoons of chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tbl spoons of sautéed flaked almonds

Take the chicken pieces and rub them with the lemon flesh left over from the squeezing of the juice. Season well with salt and pepper.

Mix the olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the chicken thighs, coat thoroughly and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.

Pour off the marinade mixture and heat it in a pan, fry the chicken, onion and garlic in the marinade until they are golden brown. Place all of this into the largest saucepan you have. Pour over this the chicken stock and add the chopped lemon peel and the cinnamon stick. Bring the mixture to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and keep warm.

Put the apricots and honey into the liquid and simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain out the fruit and place with the chicken and then reduce the liquid to a coating consistency, I prefer it slightly runny myself. Return the chicken and apricots to the sauce and make sure it is all heated well through. Mix in the coriander and simmer for one more minute to infuse the flavour. Keep back some coriander as a garnish with the almonds.

Serve in deep bowls with large quantities of fresh French Bread.

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