Moroccan-style chicken with sour cherries & olives
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 4
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- 8 free-range chicken thighsskin-on, bone-in
- 2 tbsp ras el hanout
- 3 tbsp olive oilplus a drizzle
- 2 onionschopped
- 2 carrotscut into large chunks
- 4 garlic clovesfinely chopped
- thumb-sized piece of gingerpeeled and finely grated
- 1 tbsp harissa paste(see tip, below)
- ½ preserved lemonfinely chopped, or 1 strip of lemon peel
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 500ml chicken stock
- 300g pitted green olivesdrained
- 100g dried sour cherriesor any other dried fruit (like cranberries, apricots, raisins or sultanas)
- chopped corianderand cooked couscous (see tips, below), to serve
Nutrition: Per serving
- kcal508
- fat28g
- saturates6g
- carbs35g
- sugars28g
- fibre8g
- protein26g
- salt2.3g
Method
step 1
Season the chicken well, and toss with the ras el hanout to coat. This can be prepared the night before and kept chilled. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole or frying pan over a medium heat and spend 15-20 mins browning the chicken on all sides. (You can do this in batches to avoid crowding the pan.) Transfer the chicken to a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside.
step 2
Cook the onions and carrots in the pan for 8-10 mins until soft and golden, adding a drizzle more oil if the pan is dry. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 2 mins more. Stir in the harissa and preserved lemon. Cook for another minute until the vegetables are well coated and sticky. Add the cinnamon and bay leaves, then tip in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
step 3
Cook for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced to a thick paste. Tip the chicken and its resting juices back into the pan, and pour over the stock. Stir in the olives and cherries and return to a simmer. Put the lid on and simmer gently for 45 mins–1 hr until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
step 4
Scatter over the chopped coriander and serve with couscous. Once completely cool, will keep chilled for up to three days or frozen for three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating over a low heat or in the microwave until piping hot.
