Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Apricots and Harissa Sauce

This post contains links that, if you click on them and make a purchase, will earn me money. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. . Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I believe will be good for my readers. Thanks for helping me continue to produce great content!

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Apricots and Harissa Sauce, served with Couscous

 I couldn’t decide whether to call this dish “Chicken and Chickpea Tagine” or “Bobby Flay, I Think I Love You”. I really wanted to give it the name of the Food Network chef, but I was scared the search engines wouldn’t figure out what I wanted people to be able to find. But YOU may call it “Bobby Flay, I Think I Love You”, if you like. And if you try it, I bet you will.

I found this recipe because I received a box of Moroccan spices from a giveaway at Thyme in our Kitchen, and while I was familiar with the spice blend called “ras al-hanut”, there was another spice blend, called “harissa”,  that I had no idea how to use. So, I googled, and found Bobby Flay’s recipe, that I have adapted here.

On the Road to Morocco with Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

This dish was so good, that I knew I wanted to share it with you! It contained tender, juicy meat, sweetness from the apricots, the deeply complex spiciness of ras al-hanout, and both coolness and heat are found in the harissa sauce.

This dish was an amazing combination of flavors that burst on my tastebuds like a Moroccan sandstorm. Only juicier! And MUCH more flavorful. OK, almost nothing like a Moroccan sandstorm. I was going for the elements of power and speed here, in my little struggling analogy.

Spices and Cooking Methods from Morocco in Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

Don’t be intimidated by a recipe that has terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Let me share with you  what I’ve learned about a tagine, a spice blend called harissa, and one more spice blend: ras al-hanut.

• Tagine:  tagines (also spelled tajines) are a dish typical to Moroccan cuisine. They are slow cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in meat that is very tender. The meat is simmered with aromatic vegetables and sauce. Moroccan tajines often contain dried fruits and special spice blends. The ceramic vessel they are cooked in is also called a tagine. It’s a flat, circular dish with a conical cover. If you’d like to see a picture of that dish, or research more, here’s a link. I didn’t have a tagine dish, but a Dutch oven works just fine.
• Harissa: a spice blend, typically used in North African cuisine, principally in Tunisia and Morocco. The ingredients in my jar, made by the Savory Spice Shop, contained roasted red jappone peppers, cumin, coriander, Hungarian and California paprika, garlic, salt, and caraway.
• Ras al-hanut: is a popular Moroccan blend of spices, whose name literally means “top of the shop”, meaning this is the best blend of spices a seller has to sell. My jar, also from the Savory Spice Shop, contained nutmeg, sea salt, black pepper, ginger, cardamom, mace, cinnamon, ground allspice, turmeric, and saffron. I have, however, made my own blend at home, and at the bottom of this post, I’ll share with you the recipe I was given by my favorite local chef, Chef Deb Paquette: 
  

   

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Apricots and Harissa Sauce is so delicious! Go on an adventure in eating to Morocco, for the price of a few spices!

One more view, from overhead, just to whet your appetite.

Here we go, and remember, even though it has a long ingredient list, it is actually very easy to assemble.

The Recipe for Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Apricots and Harissa:

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Apricots and Harissa Sauce

Print

We're off on the Road to Morocco, with this delicious dish I've adapted from two great chefs, Bobby Flay, and Deb Paquette. A tagine is a slow cooked stew, and this one uses the spice blend known as ras al-hanut. The dish is served with a beautiful fiery yet cool harissa sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 T. canola oil
• 8 chicken thighs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ras al-hanut*
• Large pinch saffron, soaked in 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained (15-ounce can)
• 1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained (15-ounce can)
• 3/4 cup dried apricots, sliced in half
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
• HARISSA SAUCE:
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1 tablespoon harissa spice blend
• Sea salt, to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400º.

• Heat canola oil in a large Dutch oven or a tagine over high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place in the hot pan, skin side down, in batches if needed, cook until golden brown. Turn the thighs over and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove chicken to a plate.
• Remove all but 2 T. of the oil from the pan and then add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ras al-hanut and cook another 30 seconds. Add the saffron with the soaking liquid, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chickpeas, and apricots and bring to a simmer. Place the chicken into the mixture and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, either on the stovetop, or in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Do not remove the lid to check on the chicken until this time is up. Garnish each serving with a dollop of Harissa Sauce, parsley and cilantro.

For the Harissa Sauce

• Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and let stand at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Frontier Organic Seasoning, Ras El Hanout, 1.8 Ounce
• 
  365 Everyday Value, Spanish Saffron, 0.04 Ounce
• 
  Cast Iron Moroccan Tagine Pot, Enameled Fire Red, 4 Quart, By Bruntmor

The Recipe to Make Your Own Ras Al-Hanut Spice Blend:

Continue to Content

Ras Al-Hanut Spice Blend

Print

You can make your own Ras Al-Hanut Spice blend at home. This recipe was shared with me by Nashville's own Deb Paquette.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons each of the following spices
• . freshly ground nutmeg
• . coriander
• . cumin
• . ginger
• . turmeric
• . salt
• . cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons each of these spices
• . sugar
• . paprika
• . black pepper
• 1 tsp. of these spices
• . cayenne
• . cardamom
• . allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon of
• . ground clove

Instructions

Mix all spices well. This makes about 8 tablespoons and you can keep the rest in a little jar that you label "Ras al-hanout" till you want to use it again.

Notes

This spice blend is great for flavoring rice, couscous, meatballs or used as a rub on a pork tenderloin, which is how I've used it.