Recipe Moroccan style Chicken with olives and lemon

[karadekoolaid]

(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
1 kg chicken ( I used chicken breast, but you can use what ever you prefer), cut into pieces
3 gms Ras-e

l-hanout*
1 gm cinnamon powder
2 gms paprika
3 gms ginger powder (or grated fresh ginger)
3 gms black pepper
3 gms salt
20 mls olive oil
1 medium onion (about 150 gms), diced
20 gms garlic ( 5 large cloves), minced
50 gms tomato paste
60 gms olives, cut into halves
1 lemon, sliced thinly (or 1 preserved lemon, rinsed and sliced)
15 gms chopped fresh coriander, stalks and all
40 gms raisins
40 gms chopped dates or dried apricots
1 lt chicken stock (home made if you have it, otherwise, a Maggi cube!)
Salt, to taste
15 gms slivered almonds, lightly toasted
* you can make a simple ras-el-hanout (spice mixture) by mixing 1 tsp of each of the following (ground) spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, caraway, turmeric, ginger, paprika, cayenne and black pepper.

Method:

• In a bowl, mix the chicken with the following 5 ingredients. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
• Heat the olive oil and, when hot, add the onion. Fry until soft, then add the minced garlic. Cook until the garlic loses its "raw"smell.
• Now add the tomato paste and a splash of stock and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Remove and blend to a fine sauce, adding more of the stock if necessary*
• (* I blended this because two of my guests said they didn't eat onion. Blitz the stuff and they don't notice!)
• Add more olive oil to the pan and stir-fry the chicken, until it is well seared on the outside (ie. white) then add the sauce.
• Add the olives, lemon, coriander, raisins, dates/apricots and the rest of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil them turn to a simmer.
• Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.