Chicken and Lemon Tagine with Herby Tabbouleh

This exotic one-pot dish is the perfect mixture of sweet and spicy.

Serve it with a herb tabbouleh for a filling family supper.

A recipe for the spice mixture, Rras-el-hanout, can be found in my

"Herbs and Spice Blends",

to be launched soon.

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Ingredients:
For the Tagine:
50g butter
1 medium chicken cut in 10 pieces
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 inch piece of ginger root, grated
2 sticks of cinnamon
10ml Ras-el-hanout
5ml salt
5ml freshly ground black pepper
2.5ml turmeric
5ml cinnamon
2.5ml safron
1 preserved lemon, roughly chopped
50ml honey
750ml chicken stock
150g dates, stoned and halved
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
30ml chopped fresh parsley

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For the tabbouleh:
140g bulgar wheat, soaked in cold water overnight
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, de-seeded and finely diced
2 large bunches of parsley, roughly chopped
1 bunch mint, roughly chopped
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
60ml extra virgin olive oil

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Method:

For the Tagine:

Heat a large, lidded saucepan until hot, add the butter and add the chicken and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Do this in batches so that the pan is not overcrowded. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Add the onions, garlic and ginger to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute, then return the chicken to the pan and stir until the chicken is coated in the spice mixture.

Add the preserved lemons, honey and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat until simmering, cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes.

Add the dates and stir well, then continue to cook, uncovered for another 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir in the parsley.

For the Herb Tabbouleh:

Drain the bulgar wheat and place in a large bowl. Add the other ingredients and stir until well combined. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To serve, spoon the tabbouleh onto serving plates and spoon some tagine alongside.