Spiced Chicken & Rhubarb Tagine Recipe

Ingredients

1.15kg chicken thighs & drumsticks
1 onion
1 garlic clove
A thumb of ginger
2 carrots
240g rhubarb
1 tbsp mixed spice
2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp honey
100g baby leaf spinach
150g wholewheat couscous
1 orange
35g flaked almonds
A handful of mint, leaves only
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
800ml- 1 ltr 50ml boiling water

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Method

1. Heat a large frying pan (or a deep casserole dish if you’re cooking this on the hob). When warm, drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. Carefully place in the chicken thighs and drumsticks and fry for 10 mins turning once, till golden brown. You may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on your pan size.

2. While the chicken cooks, peel and thinly slice the onion and garlic. Peel the ginger, thinly slice it, and cut into matchsticks. From this point on, follow the method either for the slow cooker or the hob.

3. In the slow cooker: Lift the chicken out of the pan and pop in a 3½ ltr slow cooker. Peel and thickly slice the carrots. Trim and slice the rhubarb sticks into 2cm pieces.

4. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, carrots and rhubarb to the slow cooker. Add 1 tbsp mixed spice and add 1 tsp of the turmeric (keep the rest for later). Pour in 1 tbsp honey and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour in 500ml hot water and gently stir to mix as much as you can.

5. Turn your slow cooker to medium and cook for 6 hrs till the chicken is falling off the bone. For a faster tagine, set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4-5 hrs, or set to low and gently cook for 8-10 hrs.

6. When the tagine has 20 mins left to cook, make the couscous. Roughly chop the spinach leaves and place in the bottom of a large heatproof bowl. Tip in the couscous. Finely grate in the orange zest and add the remaining turmeric. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and a large pinch of salt and mix. Pour in 300ml boiling water then cover with a plate. Leave for 15 mins to soak – the couscous will absorb the water and become soft and fluffy.

7. Place a dry frying pan on the hob for 1 min. Tip in the flaked almonds. Toast for 2-3 mins, shaking the pan regularly till the almonds are golden. Tip into a bowl. Cut the orange into 6-8 wedges. Finely chop the mint leaves.

8. Taste the tagine and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Divide the couscous between 4 warm plates. Spoon over the chicken tagine, with plenty of the sauce. Scatter over the almonds and mint leaves. Serve with the orange wedges on the side for squeezing.

9. On the hob: Lift the chicken out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate or in a large bowl. Add the onions to the casserole dish and cook on a medium-low heat for 6-8 mins till softened.

10. While the onion is cooking, peel and thickly slice the carrots. Trim and slice the rhubarb into 2cm pieces. Add the garlic and ginger to the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 mins. Add the carrots and rhubarb and stir together. Add the chicken back into the pan. Add 1 tbsp mixed spice, 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tbsp honey and 750ml hot water. Add plenty of salt and pepper and stir.

11. Place a lid on the pan and cook for 1 hr, stirring every now and then. The chicken should be tender and the sauce should have reduced a little.

12. When the tagine has 20 mins left to cook, make the couscous. Roughly chop the spinach leaves and place in the bottom of a large heatproof bowl. Tip in the couscous. Finely grate in the orange zest and add the remaining turmeric. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and a large pinch of salt and mix. Pour in 300ml boiling water then cover with a plate. Leave for 15 mins to soak – the couscous will absorb the water and become soft and fluffy.

13. Place a dry frying pan on the hob for 1 min. Tip in the flaked almonds. Toast for 2-3 mins, shaking the pan regularly till the almonds are golden. Tip into a bowl. Cut the orange into 6-8 wedges. Finely chop the mint leaves.

14. Taste the tagine and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Divide the couscous between 4 warm plates. Spoon over the chicken with plenty of the sauce. Scatter over the almonds and mint. Serve with the orange wedges for squeezing.