Wintery Chicken Tagine

Ingredients

  • 500g chicken breast, diced into 2cm cubes

  • 400g tinned tomatoes

  • 350g cous cous

  • 350g brussels sprouts

  • 2 medium carrots, finely chopped

  • 1 large parsnip, finely chopped

  • 2 celery, finely chopped

  • 100g dried dates, chopped

  • 100g dried apricots, chopped

  • 1 medium onion

  • 1tbsp sweet paprika

  • 1tbsp cinnamon

  • 1tsp cumin seeds

  • 2 cloves of garlic

  • 1tsp white pepper

  • 1 tsp nutmeg

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 1 bunch of coriander

Instructions

  1. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil with two of the bay leaves. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan and saute the chopped vegetables and the garlic for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.

  2. In a dry frying pan, toast the cumin seeds quickly over a medium heat, then add them to the vegetables with all the other spices and two bay leaves. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and a cup of boiling water.

  3. Chop the stalks of the coriander, retaining the leaves for garnish, then add the chopped dates, apricots, chicken and coriander stalks, mix them in and leave everything to simmer gently for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. 

  4. Meanwhile prepare the couscous: finely slice your sprouts, heat a tablespoon of oil in the cumin pan and saute the sprouts for 30 seconds, add the cranberries.

  5. Leave the sprouts and cranberries to soften on a low heat. Then check the level of your boiling water - you need about 1 1/2 cups - and pour in the couscous then remove immediately from the heat, leaving until the water is absorbed. 

  6. Give it a quick stir, add the sprouts and cranberries and gently combine, then cover with a lid and leave to one side until the tagine is ready. Serve the tagine with the couscous and sprinkle with the coriander leaves.

Vegetarian option: substitute the chicken for your favourite beans