This warming chicken tagine recipe is full of sweet, tangy and fragrant ingredients, with mellow spices lending a heady, aromatic flavour. A delicious midweek meal that can be made from various store cupboard ingredients.
Heat a splash of oil in a heavy bottomed pan or tagine and add the onion, garlic, ras el hanout and cinnamon stick
2
Once the onions are soft but not coloured, stir in the harissa paste and cook for one minute. Add the diced chicken thighs and cook until browned on all sides
3
Quarter the preserved lemons and scrape out the flesh. Discard half of the flesh, then finely slice the peel
4
Once the chicken looks sealed on all sides, add the preserved lemon peel and flesh, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, olives and apricots and simmer for 30–40 minutes. Add a little vegetable stock or water if it starts to dry out
5
Meanwhile, make the couscous. Heat your chicken stock until hot but not boiling and place the couscous in a separate bowl. Pour over the hot stock, cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes
6
Chop the coriander and mint and fold it through the couscous along with the pomegranate seeds. Use a fork to fluff up the couscous
7
Toast the flaked almonds in a hot dry pan until lightly golden
8
Check the chicken is cooked through by piercing with a knife or skewer, if it comes out very hot it is ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper
9
Serve the tagine with the herby couscous and garnish with fresh coriander, parsley and toasted almonds
