Moroccan Chicken with Tomato Marmalade
Honey does wonders for bringing out the sweetness of tomatoes. Here tomatoes, chicken and honey are stewed together to make this exquisite tagine or Moroccan stew. Serve with steamed couscous. Make it a day in advance and heat just before serving.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 pounds assorted chicken parts, breasts, thighs and drumsticks
5 large ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 clove garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, grated
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Melt the butter and warm the olive oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Add the chicken, tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, saffron, ginger, garlic, onion, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is done and the meat starts to fall off the bone, 30 to 40 minutes. Add water as needed if the pan gets dry. Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with foil and keep warm.
Add the honey and cinnamon to the pan and simmer the sauce over medium heat, uncovered stirring frequently, until the sauce is very thick like marmalade, 8 to 12 minutes. Add the chicken and heat until the chicken is hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with almonds and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
