Chicken tagine

Serves 4

• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• 800 g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed of fat and cut into 5 cm pieces
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 sticks celery, thinly sliced
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 60 g dried apricots, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cups (300 g) diced pumpkin (squash)
• 1 cup (250 ml) salt-reduced chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro), plus extra sprigs to garnish

Method

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken in batches and cook for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and celery to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion has softened.

Add the ground coriander and ginger and sauté for a further 1 minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, apricot, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, pumpkin and stock.

Return the chicken to the pan and bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken and pumpkin are cooked through. Season to taste and stir in the coriander. Garnish with extra coriander and serve with couscous and steamed vegetables.

TIP: Add a finely sliced red chilli along with the coriander and ginger if you like a bit of heat in your food. The pumpkin can easily be replaced with sweet potato, for a slightly different flavour.