Chicken & Lemon Tajine

I must admit, ever since I first made this recipe some 10 years ago, it has become a regular meal at my house & one that I love to prepare for guests. North African cuisine is one of my favorites and it is my dream to visit Morocco or Tunisia in particular, so I can taste the food in its natural environment. The flavours of this dish are simply indescribable, with the sweetness of the cinnamon & dates, blending fabulously with the tangy lemon & spicy undertones of Ras-el-Hanout, a famous spice blend unique to this part of the world. This dish is best served with plain couscous or couscous tossed with finely chopped fresh coriander & parsley.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 kg of chicken thighs or 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 parts

2 onions, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely grated ginger

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp Ras-el-Hanout

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 cinnamon sticks

1 lemon, finely sliced with seeds removed

3 tbsp honey

750ml chicken stock

150gr dried seedless dates, chopped

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large, deep pan & add your chicken. Brown on all sides until golden & slightly crisp, then remove from the pan & set aside.

Add the onions, garlic & ginger. Fry on low heat 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften.

Add the salt, pepper, Ras-el-Hanout, turmeric & the cinnamon stick.

Fry on low heat for 1 minute to release the flavours of the spices.

Return chicken to the pan & coat all pieces with the spicy mixture.

Add the lemon slices, honey & chicken stock.

Simmer on low heat 40 minutes with a lid on.

Simmer another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally as sauce thickens, to avoid burning the food at the bottom.