Recipe: Moroccan Chicken Tagine

If you've never cooked in one before, tagines are wonderful things. Originating from North Africa, a Tagine is traditionally made from clay and formed of two parts; a circular base, and a tall, cone shaped lid. The shape of the Tagine encourages condensation to return back to the food, locking in all the flavour and moisture. It guarantees delightfully tender, succulent meat and melt in the mouth vegetables every time – which is extra special for us Paleo folk. If you don’t have a tagine, a casserole dish will be almost as good.

This Moroccan chicken tagine recipe encapsulates everything that is good about North African Cuisine – and is perfectly Paleo. Warming, fragrant spices, juicy apricots and ultra tender meat. I defy anyone to not enjoy it!

Moroccan Chicken Tagine Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, diced
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2cm piece of ginger, grated
• 2 tsp ras-el-hanout spice blend
• Juice 1 lemon
• 5 fresh apricots, chopped
• 1 x 400ml can chopped tomatoes
• Handful fresh coriander
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 200ml water

Moroccan Chicken Tagine How To:

1)     Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / gas mark 4

2)     In a non stick pan, heat the coconut oil to a medium heat. Add the onions, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until golden brown. Add the ginger and spice blend, and infuse for another 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer to the tagine.

3)     Add the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, apricots and garlic cloves and stir well. Transfer the chicken and the squash to the tagine, and add the hot water. Leave to roast in the oven for 40 minutes.

4)     Remove the tagine from the oven, then take off the lid, watching out for steam! Skim off any fat that may have risen to the top, then stir in the fresh coriander.

Have you cooked in a tagine before? What do you make in it?