A Very Merry Christmas Eve...Chicken Tagine Style

Since it's finally begun to feel winter-ish here in the City, I had big plans to make a Christmas Eve meal that was some sort of cross between comfort food and high end deliciousness.  I perused my cookbooks and set my sets on a yummy looking red wine braised lamb shanks.  I also proceeded to enjoy my day off and put off grocery shopping for my meal until 3pm.  Oops.  At the third boutique Brooklyn grocery store deli counter I went to, I was told I had to pre-order lamb shanks if I wanted them at Christmas Eve...like I was a crazy person for not knowing that. Maybe I am.  Is Christmas Eve lamb a thing?  Is that what people eat?  All I could think of is a former roommate of mine who hated when I cooked lamb in the apartment because it smelled "too biblical".  Perhaps this was one of those biblical things I missed?

Anyway, my meat options seriously limited, I scrambled to come up with a comfort food yet classy delish dish involving...chicken.  Luckily, I stumbled across a delightful recipe for chicken tagine in the "Cooking For Two" cookbook.  Yes, that's right, I have a cookbook entitled "Cooking for Two: Perfect Meals for Pairs" courtesy of my father enjoying making me feel awkward after I finally announced I was, in fact, cooking for two these days.  I paired my tagine with garlic roasted brussels sprouts and couscous and it was exactly what I wanted - delicious and comforting.  Hooray!  

I made a few modifications (fresh ginger instead of powdered, prunes instead of apricots, no saffron), but it was mostly because of what I had on hand. I think it would be delicious with any dried fruit/ginger combo. Also, I used slightly less than a full cup of fruit, as I didn't want the fruit to overpower everything...also, I was using prunes.  You have to be careful there. Here's the recipe:

Chicken Tagine for Two:

4 to 5 skinned chicken thighs

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. fresh ground ginger

1 1/2 C. chicken stock

1/4 tsp. ground cumin (I used whole seeds because I have them)

1 1/2 Tbs. honey

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 C. quartered dried figs

1/2 C. quartered dried prunes (or apricots)

1/2 C. chopped almonds

Salt and Pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1.  In a large Dutch oven (I used my Le Creuset!) heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil over medium heat.  Add chicken and brown on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

2.  Add remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, onions, and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Return the chicken to the pot and add the turmeric, ginger, stock, and cumin.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook uncovered for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is nearly falling off the bone.

3.  While chicken is cooking, combine the honey, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add the figs and prunes.  Reduce the liquid to a simmer and cook until the fruit is tender and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 15 min.  Add more water if the pan gets dry.  Remove cinnamon stick when done. 

Mmm...chicken in one pot and fruit bubbling away in the other!

4.  Toast the almonds.

5.  Season the chicken mixture with salt and pepper to taste then stir in the lemon juice and the fruit.   

6.  Serve over couscous and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. 

Enjoy!!  It's so tasty!

I forgot to take a picture before I started eating - it was that good!  It was a candle-lit meal, so excuse the dime lighting.  It looked good, I promise.