Chicken Tagine with Carmelized Onions and Prunes

by Chef Lucy Waverman

I like to use chicken thighs with the bone in for maximum flavour. But I remove the skin to make sure that the spices are infused in the meat. You can use boneless thighs instead but cook for 10 minutes less. Serve with couscous and greens.

Spice mixture:
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Chicken:
2 pounds (1 kilogram) skinless chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups sliced onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon crushed saffron
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped coriander
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups chicken stock, homemade or low sodium
18 pitted prunes, soaked in hot water for
10 minutes

Combine ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika and cinnamon in a small bowl. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and sauté for 3 minutes a side or until golden. Remove from pan and reserve.

Add remaining tablespoon olive oil and onions to pan and sauté for 10 minutes or until they begin to brown. Reduce heat to medium low, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add spice mixture and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions are a golden tangled mass. Add saffron, honey, parsley and coriander and stir together.

Add lemon juice and stock and bring to boil.

Turn heat to medium low and return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add prunes and turn chicken over. Turn heat to medium and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

There’s great balance and depth to the flavours in this dish, making it a flexible partner with many wines. My top choices would include nero d’Avola from Sicily, reds from southern France such as Corbières or Minervois, or, if you can find one, from Morocco. A Portuguese red is another good option. The top white would be Alsatian, either pinot gris or riesling.

Chef Lucy Waverman

www.lucywaverman.com