Tagine Of Chicken With Prunes And Almonds

Heres a great Tagine Recipe, mouths watering just writing it.

Tagine Of Chicken With Prunes And Almonds

2 T pareve margarine or
1 vegetable oil
1 md onion,finely chopped
3 1/2 lb meaty chicken pieces,remove skin if desired
1 c ,water
1 to 3 tsp. cinnamon,Ground
1/2 t ginger,Ground
1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper
-preferably,Freshly Ground
1 pn ,salt
10 to 12 oz prunes,Pitted
-about 2 cups
1 T honey (or sugar (optional))
1 c whole blanches almonds
-lightly,Toasted
In a large Tagine, over medium-high heat,
heat the margarine or oil (or use a mixture); then saute the onion
until it is tender but not browned. Add the chicken to the skillet and lightly brown it on all sides.
Mix the water with the cinnamon, ginger, pepper, and salt and pour it
over the browned chicken. Bring the liquid to a boil. Put the lid on the Tagine, lower the heat, and simmer the chicken for 30 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally. Add the prunes and honey (if used) to the Tagine, evenly distributing the prunes around the chicken, and making sure they are covered with liquid. Cover the Tagine again, and simmer the chicken and prunes together for about 20 minutes, or until both are very tender. If the sauce becomes too dry and begins to stick to the bottom of the skillet, stir in additional water as needed.
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a large serving tagine. Stir about half the almonds into the prune sauce remaining in the pot; then spoon the sauce mixture over the chicken. Garnish the top with the remaining almonds.
Note: To toast the almonds, spread them in a jelly roll or similar pan and heat then in a 350-degree oven, stirring them occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Or, to toast them in the Moroccan manner, heat some vegetable oil in a skillet and saute the almonds in the oil until they are lightly browned; then remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.