Recipe: Chicken Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 skinless chicken thighs

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (can substitute dried figs, prunes or other fruit)

1 cup chopped tomato (fresh or canned or boxed, with juice)

2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained, with the liquid reserved

1 to 2 cups chicken stock, bean liquid or water, or more as needed

1/2 cup bulgur (can substitute couscous or rice)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish.

Directions:

1. Put oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chicken and brown well on both sides; remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, add onion to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes; add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, dried apricots and tomato. Cook and stir just long enough to loosen any brown bits from bottom of pan.

2. Add chickpeas and 1 cup of stock or bean liquid to the pan and turn heat back to medium-high. When mixture reaches a gentle bubble, return chicken to the pan. Cover pot, turn heat to low and cook, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture is bubbling gently, for about 15 minutes or until tomatoes break down and flavors begin to meld. Stir in bulgur, adding more stock if necessary so that the mixture is covered with about an inch of liquid. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Cover and cook until the chicken and bulgur are both done, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasonings and serve in bowls garnished with parsley.

Yield: 4 servings.