I have delved into the world of Moroccan and North African cuisine, reading about sumptuous dishes in books by Claudia Roden, Paula Wolfert, the Maloufs and Clifford A. Wright. I’ve been inspired by their culinary journeys and revel in the fragrance and spices of the African continent. After making a batch of ras al hanout, a spice mix that means “best of the house,” I thought I’d try combining it with some curry powder to make a tagine with an African-Asian spice fusion. The aroma drifting across the kitchen as this simmered was mouthwatering. The result produced a chicken that melted off the bone with plump, juicy, succulent fruit. This dish has become a family favorite.
Citrus Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Golden Raisins
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon curry powder, heaped
- ½ teaspoon ras el hanout
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 8 chicken legs, or a combination of legs and thighs
- 4 cups chicken stock
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 2 large onions, peeled, halved, and sliced
- 20-30 dried apricots
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 2 small preserved lemons, roughly chopped
- 4 oranges, peeled and sectioned
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the curry powder, ras el hanout and olive oil to form a thick paste. Stir in the orange juice. The mixture should be quite thick. Add the chicken and coat all sides. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. (This can be done up to 8 hours in advance.)
- Pour 1–2 tablespoons olive oil into the base of a tagine with a cast-iron bottom (or a Dutch oven, but not a clay-bottom tagine) over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden, about 6–7 minutes. Add the marinated chicken legs and brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Pour in enough chicken stock to come halfway up the sides of the chicken (depending on the size of your pan, you may have some stock left). Add the salt and pepper and cover with the tagine lid. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the apricots, golden raisins, preserved lemons and the oranges to the tagine and stir, turning the chicken legs once or twice. Replace the lid and cook for an additional 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and meat is almost falling off the bone.
- Serve with plenty of the pan juices, the fruit and onions. I like to serve this dish with couscous.
