TODAY’S RECIPE: Chicken tagine with lemons, olives and pomegranate

MOROCCAN flavours in one pot. Serves: 5.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

8 chicken thighs

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp Moroccan spice mix

1 large preserved lemon, skin only, finely chopped

2 fat tomatoes, sliced

1 chicken stock cube

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Handful of olives

1 small lemon, ½ very thinly sliced

100g feta,

Small bunch mint, leaves only

Couscous, to serve

Method

1 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide, shallow casserole dish or ovenproof pan. Season chicken and cook, skin down, for 8-10 minutes, until crispy. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat oven to 170c/150c fan/gas 3.

2 Add the rest of the oil and the onion to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, then add garlic and Moroccan spice mix. Stir, scraping any bits of onions and chicken from the bottom, until the spices smell fragrant. Add preserved lemon, tomatoes, stock, honey, vinegar and 750ml water. Bring to boil, then place chicken on top. Cover with lid and put in oven for 1 hour.

3 Uncover, place the olives and lemon slices on top and drizzle the lemons with a little oil. Return to the oven for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced a little. Check seasoning, adding a squeeze of lemon, more honey or salt if you think it needs it. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds, feta and mint, and serve with couscous.