Some meals seem to fill the kitchen before they ever reach the table.
This is one of them.
Warm spices, slowly cooking onions, chicken, apricots and dates all bubbling away together until the sauce becomes rich, fragrant and just a little bit sweet.
This isn't a fiery curry.
The spices here are deliberately gentle — cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and a little paprika. Enough to give the dish warmth and depth without overwhelming everything else.
Then there are the apricots and dates.
They soften as they cook, releasing their sweetness into the sauce and creating that lovely sweet-and-savoury combination that makes a tagine so comforting.
And despite tasting as though you've gone to quite a lot of trouble, it's actually remarkably easy to make.
My favourite sort of cooking.
Chicken Tagine with Apricots & Dates
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp mild paprika
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 300ml chicken stock
- 100g dried apricots, halved
- 75g pitted dates, roughly chopped or halved
- 1 tbsp honey
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Small handful of fresh coriander or parsley, to finish
Optional: a handful of toasted flaked almonds to scatter over the top.
Method
1. Brown the chicken
Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish or heavy-based pan.
Season the chicken thighs with a little salt and pepper, then brown them for a few minutes on each side.
They don't need to be cooked through at this stage. You're simply giving them a little colour.
Remove the chicken and put it to one side.
2. Soften the onions
Turn the heat down and add the sliced onion to the same pan.
Cook gently for around 8–10 minutes until soft and beginning to turn golden.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the spices
Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and cinnamon.
Stir everything together and cook for about 30 seconds.
This is the moment when the kitchen starts to smell rather wonderful.
4. Bring everything together
Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock and give everything a good stir.
Return the chicken to the pan.
Add the apricots, dates and honey.
Bring gently to a simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for around 35–40 minutes, until the chicken is beautifully tender.
Remove the lid for the final 10 minutes if you'd like the sauce a little thicker.
5. Taste
Just before serving, stir through the lemon juice.
Taste the sauce.
Depending on the sweetness of your dates and apricots, you might want another squeeze of lemon, a little more black pepper or a pinch of salt.
This is one of those dishes where tasting at the end really does make a difference.
Scatter over some fresh coriander or parsley and, if you're using them, the toasted almonds.
What to Serve With It
Couscous is the obvious choice — and probably my favourite.
It soaks up that lovely sauce and takes only a few minutes to make.
For something a little more substantial, serve it with rice or warm flatbreads and a simple salad.
A spoonful of natural yoghurt on the side is lovely too, particularly if you add a little lemon zest and chopped mint.
Make It Your Own
One of the nicest things about a tagine is that it doesn't demand absolute precision.
If you love apricots, add a few more.
Prefer dates? Add more of those instead.
You could add a drained tin of chickpeas for the final 15 minutes, throw in some chunks of butternut squash, or add a few green olives if you prefer a more savoury finish.
And if you're cooking for someone who doesn't like much spice, don't worry.
There is nothing particularly hot about this recipe.
The spices are there for warmth and flavour rather than heat.
The Tenacious Bit
I love food like this.
Not because it's particularly fancy, but because it's the sort of meal that encourages everyone to sit down.
Put the tagine in the middle of the table.
Bring out a big bowl of couscous.
Add some warm bread.
And let everyone help themselves.
Because food isn't only about what we eat.
It's about the conversations that happen while we eat.
The passing of bowls.
Someone pinching another piece of bread.
The person who insists they're full and then somehow manages another spoonful.
Those ordinary meals around a table probably won't feel particularly significant at the time.
But perhaps they're some of the moments we'll remember most.
Before you go...
Perhaps this week, make a meal that asks everyone to sit down.
Put something good in the middle of the table.
Pass around the bowls.
Tear the bread.
Talk for a little longer.
And don't worry too much about the washing-up waiting in the kitchen.
Because sometimes the best part of cooking isn't really the food at all.
It's who we share it with.
And if you're looking for something else to put in the middle of your table, you'll find more simple recipes, stories and inspiration waiting for you here at Tenacious Wellness.
www.tenaciouswellness.co.uk