Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

By bjlazyl

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons corn or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; drain excess liquid)
• 4 cups chickpeas (canned are fine; drain and rinse first)
• 1/2 cup raisins or chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 8 chicken thighs, or 4 leg-thigh pieces, cut in two
• Chopped cilantro or parsley leaves

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from cooking.nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Put oil and butter in a large skillet or casserole, which can be covered later, and turn heat to medium high. When butter melts, add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, a large pinch of salt and spices. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, raisins and vanilla, and bring to a boil. (If mixture is very dry, add about 1/2 cup water.) Taste, and add salt as necessary.

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, and nestle them into sauce. Cover, and 5 minutes later adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until chicken is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Then garnish, and serve with couscous.