Chicken and Sultana Tagine with Caramelised Onion and Arganic infused Couscous

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients:

Preperation time: 20 mins; Cooking time: 1 hour 45 mins

• 1 x 2 kg chicken, jointed and skinned
• 6 large red onions, sliced thinly 
• 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 70 grams of sultanas (should be soaked for at least an hour)
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Moroccan chicken spice (can substitute with curry powder + cumin)
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of powdered ginger
• 1 tablespoon of powdered cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• A pinch of saffron
• A piece of cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 400g couscous
• 2 tablespoons of argan oil

Method:

Place the chicken into a tagine or Dutch oven dish. Add half of the thinly sliced onion, the garlic, the olive oil, the salt and all spices apart from the powdered cinnamon.

Mix it all together with your fingers so that the pieces of chicken marinade well. (If possible, prepare the marinade a day in advance and leave it in the refrigerator).

On a low heat sear the pieces of chicken on all sides for about 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the meat frequently. Meanwhile soak the sultanas in some cold water.

Once the chicken is seared, add the rest of the thinly sliced onion and the sultanas on top. Do not mix.  If needed add a cup of cold water so that the chicken won’t stick. Remove the cinnamon stick and sprinkle on the powdered  cinnamon.

With a tablespoon, keep pouring some of the sauce from the tagine onto the onions and sultanas (it will give them good colour and flavor) Let the tajine cook on a low heat with the lid on for approximately 1 hour then check if the chicken is cooked. Then, add the honey on top. If you have too much sauce, you can take the lid off and let the sauce reduce until you obtain the desired consistency.

Prepare the couscous according to pack instructions and stir in 2 tablespoons of argan oil for a nice texture and delicious nutty aroma. Enjoy!