Sufra Dayma:

Oriental Sweet' N Sour Chicken Tagine

By Moushira Abdel-Malek

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Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces)

1 large onion (thinly sliced)

500 gms potatoes (peeled, cut into large chunks)

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup each: pitted dried prunes, raisins, dried apricots

Pinch of saffron threads

Salt + pepper + allspice + grated nutmeg + 2 bay leaves + 2 cardamom pods

Butter + oil

Method:

Heat butter and oil in a large cooking pan. Season chicken pieces and add in batches. Stir over high heat to golden brown chicken on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave aside. Add onion slices and stir to brown over lowered heat. Bring back chicken pieces, potatoes, prunes, raisins, apricots, saffron threads and all the seasoning. Stir to mix. Add chicken stock. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer over low heat only for 15 minutes. Remove into an oven-proof baking tagine. Bake in a preheated oven of 200 degrees until chicken is well done; checking if more stock is needed. Remove bay leaves and cardamom. Serve with rice or couscous and baladi pickles. Ramadan Kareem....