Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Cauliflower Cous Cous

Ready in  2 hours | Serves  4  people (with left-overs for lunch)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• 2 brown onions, sliced into thin wedges

• 1.8kg chicken pieces on the bone (eg chicken marylands, chicken breast with wing attached, etc)

• 1 preserved lemon sliced (or 1 fresh lemon thinly sliced)

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dried ground ginger)

• 1 Tbsp ground Cumin

• 1 Tbsp ground Paprika

• 2 tsp ground Turmeric

• 1 tsp freshly ground Himalayan Rock Salt or Celtic Sea Salt

• ½ - 1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper

• 1 large sweet potato, chopped into 2-3cm (1 inch) cubes *

• ½ cup chopped fresh continental parsley

• 1 cup green pitted olives (my favourite are Sicilian Olives)

• 2-3 cups chicken stock (either home-made or good quality store-bought)

• 4 cups prepared cauliflower cous cous 

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Cauliflower Cous Cous

Heat a pan with a little coconut oil, toss in the pulsed cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper (and if you want to add some Moroccan flavour, add ½ tsp each of cumin, ground coriander, and paprika).  Fry for 5 mins until tender.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat oil in a large heavy based ovenproof dish (like a Le Creuset) over high heat. Add half the chicken pieces. Cook turning for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

2. Scoop out any excess fat (you want to be left with around 1-2 Tbsp oil in the base). Turn the heat down and add onion to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cinnamon, garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute or until the spices start to smell really yummy. Return chicken to the pan (along with sweet potato if you’re using it), arrange the lemon slices over the top and pour 2 cups of chicken stock into the dish (adding more if you need to halfway through the cooking process).

3. Bake in oven, covered, for 1 hour or until chicken is tender and sauce thickens slightly. Add olives, and chopped parsley stir to combine and pop back into the oven for another 20-30 min.

4. While that’s finishing up in the oven, make your cauliflower couscous and salad.

5. Sprinkle chicken tagine with chopped coriander and serve with cauliflower couscous and salad.

6. * Feel free to enjoy Sweet Potato for now, but remember to check the Food Guidelines each week for vegetables that are “IN” and those that are “OUT”.