Roast Chicken with Apricots and Butter Beans Tagine

Two years ago, we were driving around the beautiful country of Morocco, meeting lovely people and eating some truly exquisite food. Walking through the medinas and finding a spice shop in every other corner, with a host of interesting spices to pick from, I was really a kid in a candy shop. Missing all that, I decided that the best way to recreate our travel experience would be to cook our best memories. So, here’s my take on a chicken tagine. Without a tagine pot, this is roasted first, and then the gravy is added later and cooked again. The chicken is paired with ripe apricots and hearty butter beans, making it a delight to dig into with some market fresh bread. It’s well-rounded with spice, tangy and sweet from the apricots and comforting with the butter beans. If a plate of comfort food is what you’re looking for, then make yourself a little of this, you won’t be sorry!

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Ingredients

  • 500g chicken drumsticks, skin on

For the marinade

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tsp rose harissa paste

  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder

  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

  • Salt to taste

  • 1 tsp honey

  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the roast

  • 250g ripe apricots, stoned

  • 2 medium red onions, sliced into wedges

  • 1 tin butter beans, drained

  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves

  • 2 tsp harissa paste

  • 2 tsp melted butter

  • 1 tsp honey

  • 1 tsp coconut sugar

  • Salt to taste

For the gravy

  • 250ml chicken stock

  • 1 tbsp white spelt flour

Method of Preparation

  1. Place all the ingredients for the marinade, except the lemon juice in a small non-stick pan on low heat. Stir to mix well, and as it begins to warm turn off the heat. Allow it to cool a little. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl, and add the marinade. Then add the lemon juice to the chicken, and mix well. Allow it to sit on the counter for 1-2 hours before cooking.

  2. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C fan.

  3. Add the remaining ingredients for the roast to the mixing bowl with the marinated chicken. Mix well, then transfer to a roasting tin. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a large oven-safe pan. Then, whisk the chicken stock with the white spelt flour, and add to the pan. Cook on stovetop, on medium heat, for 5 minutes, and then transfer to the oven at 190°C fan for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve hot with bread or couscous.