North African chicken tagine

• chicken breasts↗2 large 2 large

  skin on

• chicken thighs↗4 4

  bone in and skin on

• olive oil↗2 tbsp 2 tbsp
• shallots↗200g 200g

  peeled

• garlic cloves↗2 2

  sliced

• piece ginger↗4cm 4cm

  grated

• cumin seeds↗1 tsp 1 tsp

  lightly crushed

• coriander seeds↗1 tsp 1 tsp

  lightly crushed

• cinnamon sticks↗2 small 2 small
• saffron↗large pinch large pinch

  threads

• ground ginger↗1 tsp 1 tsp
• dried chilli↗pinch crushed pinch crushed
• peeled butternut squash375g 375g

  cut into chunks

• chicken stock↗500ml 500ml
• clear honey↗1 rounded tbsp 1 rounded tbsp
• coriander2 tbsp roughly chopped

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Cut each chicken breast in half, then season all the chicken. Heat the oil in a mediumsize ovenproof casserole dish. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and brown well all over – you can do it in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. 2

   Lower heat slightly, add the shallots to the pan and cook until golden brown all over. Add the garlic and grated ginger and cook for 30 secs before adding all the spices and cooking for 1 min more.

3. 3

   Throw the butternut squash into the pan and stir to coat in the spices. Arrange the chicken, skin side uppermost, on top of the shallots and squash. Pour over the stock and drizzle in the honey. Bring to a gentle simmer, then transfer to the oven to bake for 40 mins until tender. Scatter with the coriander and serve with couscous and a bowl of harissa, if you like