Chicken Tagine with Dried Fruit

(This post is sponsored by President’s Choice. I used their PC Black Label Ras El Hanout as an ingredient in this fabulously exotic Chicken Tagine with Dried Fruit)

Well? Guess what’s back in my life? YESSSSSSSS! The PC Black Label Black Box!

THIS DESERVES A BIG HUGE YAY!

I was so excited to jump on this culinary adventure for President’s Choice #PlayWithYourFood Campaign again. It’s always such a treat to receive the box, check out the contents and create a wonderful new recipe with these amazing products.

I revealed “what’s inside” of this month’s PC Black Label Black Box on my Instagram story, and boy oh boy, was it ever fun. The folks at President’s Choice usually send two products to choose from and this month they sent THREE!

So what did I receive?

But really? How was I supposed to choose? I know that I am going to have a blast trying all three products and I’m positive they will be an amazing addition to any dish.

Ultimately, I chose the PC Black Label Ras El Hanout Spice Blend for this exotic dish, that is usually made with lamb as the main ingredient.

Since I’m not a red meat kinda gal, I decided to substitute chicken thighs for the lamb and it was so delicious I hid the leftovers for my lunch. Shhhhhhhh……..don’t tell anyone.

So, what exactly is this spice blend? I’m going to tell you. Ready?

Ras El Hanout is a spice mixture from Morocco that can contain anywhere from 10-100 different spices. It’s a medley of fragrant spices to be used in tagines, as a marinade and much more. When I opened the jar of spice, I was immediately convinced that I was going to make this very special dish. In one word – HEAVENLY.

Oh, and by the way, can you make your own Ras El Hanout? Absolutely. But why bother, when PC Black Label has perfected this blend for you? Easy peasy.

Moving on to the tagine part of this story. I know you will want to know what this is, so here goes…..

First, it refers to a type of North African cookware traditionally made of clay or ceramic….

Second, the word tagine refers a dish which is slow-cooked in traditional cookware. Typically, a tagine is a rich stew of meat, poultry or fish, and most often includes vegetables or fruit. See? Not so mysterious now, right?

The blend of aromatic flavours in this dish not only makes it a delight to the eye, but will play with your palate with a marriage of sweet and savoury.

I think you are going to love this recipe as much as I did. And if you do, hide some for yourself!

Chicken Tagine with Dried Fruit

Save Print

Author: simply beautiful eating

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp slivered almonds
½ sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
pinch of saffron
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
Water, chicken or vegetable broth
6 dried prunes or dates
10 dried apricots, sliced
½ cup dried cherries
2 tbsp organic honey
½ tsp of PC Black Label Ras El Hanout Spice Blend
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Garnishes – steamed baby sweet peas, additional dried fruit, chopped cilantro, sesame seeds and prepared couscous

Instructions

Heat the butter and oil in a tagine or heavy casserole baking dish. I used a heavy cast iron dutch oven and had no problems cooking this low and slow.
Stir in the almonds and lightly toast them until they are golden brown. Be careful not to burn them. Nothing worse than burnt nuts.
Add the onion and garlic, stir and cook over low heat until translucent and starts to brown. Stir in the minced ginger, saffron, cinnamon sticks and crushed coriander seeds.
Add the cubed chicken thighs and stir to make sure everything is nicely coated. Sauté for five minutes.
Next, pour enough water or broth to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is tender.
Add the prunes or dates, apricots and cherries, stir to mix and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the honey and PC Black Label Ras El Hanout Spice Blend and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If it is too watery, allow to simmer and thicken with lid off for five minutes.
Garnish with baby sweet peas, additional dried fruit, cilantro, sesame seeds and serve with couscous if desired.

*disclaimer – This post was sponsored by PC Black Label @Preschoice but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Simply Beautiful Eating in the kitchen!