Chicken and Tenderstem tagine recipe

Get a taste of Morocco with this chicken and Tenderstem tagine recipe – perfect for a family dinner.

If you’re looking for a dinner dish to keep even the fussiest of eaters happy, try this Moroccan tagine recipe. It’s mild with just enough of a kick, while the sweetness complements the spice perfectly. The protein-packed chicken will keep you full for ages without making the meal too stodgy and the Tenderstem is the perfect dose of greens for a real health boost.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 1-1½ hours to cook

Ingredients:

For the tagine
2tbsp olive oil
800g chicken thighs, or a combination of thighs & drumsticks
2 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
500ml chicken stock
1 tin chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2tsp runny honey
300g Tenderstem, each stem cut in half

To serve
Harissa paste (optional)
Generous handful coriander leaf, chopped
Steamed couscous

Add the oil to a flameproof casserole or large saucepan and set over a medium heat. Fry the chicken pieces on both sides until golden, doing this in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Once the chicken is all browned, return it all to the pan along with any juices.

Toss in the carrots, onions and garlic along with the cumin, cinnamon and ginger and fry for a further couple of minutes, stirring well to coat the meat with the spices. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Pour over the stock and add the chickpeas and honey, stirring thoroughly and bring up to a steady simmer.  Turn down the heat, cover with a lid and cook gently for around an hour to an hour and a quarter, or until the chicken is tender.

Once the chicken is cooked, stir through the Tenderstem, re-cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes, or until the Tenderstem is just tender but with plenty of bite. Scatter over the coriander and serve with plenty of couscous to soak up the juice. Serve the harissa on the side as an optional extra to mix through.

Each serving contains: 436g calories, 11.7g sugar, 14.3g fat, 2.9g saturates, 1.2g salt