{recipe} Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Herbs, and Ginger

Sure, where you live it’s probably hot and sunny. But here in San Francisco, it’s cold and foggy. Since it’s August, I can’t quite bring myself to cook a full-on stew, despite the doom and gloom outside my window, but I can split the difference with this chicken tagine. I previously shared a Moroccan lamb tagine recipe, and this one is about as easy and delicious as that one, but with completely different flavors. Of course, I don’t actually have a working tagine so I just cook it in a Le Creuset, but calling it a tagine makes it sound better, don’t you think? It also clues you in to the North African seasonings involved.

I usually serve this over rice or couscous. This time, I put a few threads of saffron in hot water for about 15 minutes and added the water to the rice pot to give the rice more color and flavor. If you’re using couscous, why not roll your own? Only kidding. I usually use the Near East box, but if I can find it, sometimes I like to use the hand-rolled kind. It’s fun to try if you’re into couscous, and you can buy it at Williams-Sonoma.

Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Herbs, and Ginger

serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 yellow onions, chopped finely
• leaves from 5 sprigs fresh oregano plus more for garnish
• 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped finely
• 2 whole dried red chiles
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (can use thighs)
• 1 cup dried apricots, cut in fourths
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 27 oz. can plum tomatoes with their juice
• small handful of mint leaves, chopped

Method:

• Heat the oil in a heavy casserole dish. Stir in the onion, oregano leaves, ginger, and chiles and saute until the onion begins to soften. Add the cinnamon sticks.
• Salt and pepper the chicken pieces on both sides and add them to the pot. Brown the chicken on one side, then flip them over to brown the other side.
• Add apricots, honey, and tomatoes with juice. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 35-45 minutes, until chicken is falling apart.
• Remove lid and reduce sauce to thicken. Break the chicken pieces up with a wooden spoon. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Prepare a serving dish with rice or couscous and put the chicken in the middle with the sauce. Garnish with additional oregano leaves and chopped mint.