Chicken With Apricots & Spices (Tajine inspired)
This is a fun recipe if you find yourself with a surplus of apricots and craving a sweet & savory meal. My inspiration was Moroccan tajine but I totally winged it, so it’s definitely not traditional. This is the first time I write down an original recipe of mine and what motivated me to create this blog, so I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do! Disclaimer: the measurement for the spices are approximative, I never really measure spices, and the key, as always in my opinion when it comes to cooking, is to try everything as you cook and adjust!
INGREDIENTS:
-4 Chicken Legs
-Vegetable Oil (suitable for frying)
-2 medium to large yellow onions, sliced
-6 or more peeled garlic clove
-Garlic powder - 1 tsp
-Herbes de Provence (or any dry herbs) - 1 tsp
-Smoked Paprika - 1 tsp
-Ras El Hanout (or any North-African or Middle Eastern Spice Mix) - 2 tsp
-Ginger powder - 1 tsp
-Zest of 1 lemon
-Cayenne pepper - to taste
-300 grams (10.7 oz) off ripe or overripe apricots, cut in quarters
-Balsamic Vinegar - 2 tbsp
-Chicken Stock - 1 cube
-Salt
-Pepper
-Slices almonds - topping, to taste
-Fresh coriander or parsley- topping, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
-Wash your chicken with water & lemon, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
-In a large pot, preferably a cast iron dutch oven if you have one, heat up the frying oil to fry each side of the chicken legs until golden brown, about 8 minutes for each side. Set aside the chicken.
-Remove some of the oil and keep enough to sautee your sliced onions on medium to high heat and add all the peeled garlic cloves except one. When the onions start to soften, lower the heat and add salt, pepper and all the spices and herbs mentioned in the ingredient list, mix well.
-Add the apricot slices and mix well. Sprinkle with sugar and let caramelize, then add the balsamic vinegar and let the ingredients uncovered to reduce on low to medium heat.
-After about 10 minutes of simmering, try the sauce. It should be sweet and savory. If you taste too much acidity, it means the apricots need to simmer for longer. You can also add a bit of sugar and salt.
-Once the sauce tastes balanced, add just a bit of water to the onion and apricot mix and crumble the chicken stock cube, mix well. Add the chicken and sprinkle more smoked paprika, ras el hanout and herbs on it. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 30 min, then turn the chicken legs and let simmer for another 30 min.
-Pre-heat your oven on Broil or Fast Grill.
-Uncover the pot, place the chicken legs in an oven-safe dish. These are the last two steps:
-Increase the heat to medium high to further reduce the apricot sauce until it reaches a compote texture, about 10 minutes. The garlic cloves should be soft and easily melt when pressing a fork on them.
-Grill or broil the chicken legs for about 5 minutes in the oven to give more crisp and char to the skin.
-Once the right sauce texture is reached, stop the heat and microplane the last garlic clove into the sauce, mix well.
-Serve over couscous or rice, with a side of green beans or any seasonal vegetables.
-Add the sliced almonds and fresh coriander or parsley as toppings
