This tasty recipe combines store cupboard staples like dried apricots and tinned tomatoes with fresh items you can pick up as you dash home from work.
Fragrant: Moroccan chicken with spring onion couscous recipe
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CHICKEN
100g dried apricots, chopped in half 1tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil 1 small onion, chopped 2cm piece of root ginger, peeled and grated 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless 1 cinnamon stick 1tsp harissa paste 1/2tsp ground cumin 400g tin plum tomatoes Small handful of toasted flaked almonds Small bunch coriander, chopped
FOR THE COUSCOUS
100g couscous 3 spring onions, finely chopped Juice of 1/2 lemon 2tbsp olive oil 125ml very hot chicken stock
METHOD
Place the apricots in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes to soften. Heat the sunflower or vegetable oil in a large frying pan or saucepan. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the pan with the cinnamon stick, harissa paste and cumin. Fry for a few minutes until the chicken becomes opaque. Drain the tomatoes of most of their juice and stir into the pan, drain the apricots and stir in, add salt and pepper, cover pan loosely with a lid and cook gently for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the couscous and spring onion in a large bowl. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil into the very hot stock, and then pour over the couscous. Stir and then cover with a plate for 5 minutes. Fluff the grains with a fork and add salt and pepper. When serving, scatter the almonds and coriander over the chicken.
Fragrant: Moroccan chicken with spring onion couscous recipe