Moroccan Apricot Chicken Casserole

Name: Moroccan Apricot Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 8 large chicken thighs (or 1 whole chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces); 1 tablespoon of olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon of ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger; 1 cinnamon stick; A pinch of dried chilli flakes; 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes; 1 tablespoon of honey (ideally runny honey); A large pinch of saffron; 300ml of chicken stock; 2 large strips of orange peel; 100g of dried apricots; Salt and pepper to season; 25g of flaked almonds, toasted; 2 tablespoons of rosemary or coriander, roughly chopped; 500g of dry couscous; 750ml of boiling water; Salt and pepper to taste; A squeeze of lemon

Ingredients

Casserole:

8 large chicken thighs (or 1 whole chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 cinnamon stick
A pinch of dried chilli flakes
1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon of honey (ideally runny honey)
A large pinch of saffron
300ml of chicken stock
2 large strips of orange peel
100g of dried apricots
Salt and pepper to season
25g of flaked almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons of rosemary or coriander, roughly chopped

Couscous:

500g of dry couscous
750ml of boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
A squeeze of lemon

Try our delicious and fragrant apricot chicken casserole! As one of our favourite "throw in a pot" meals, this is perfect for those nights where you don't want to slave over the stove. It freezes and re-heats well too, so you can always have a nourishing meal on hand.

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish or saucepan that will hold all the chicken.
Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat until soft.
Add the cumin, ginger, cinnamon and chilli flakes and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and honey and stir well to combine.
In a small saucepan, gently heat the chicken stock with the saffron and orange peel until fragrant.
Add the stock (including orange peel and saffron) into the tomato mixture and bring everything to the boil. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken pieces and apricots to the mixture, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare a heat proof bowl and tea towel or plate that can cover the top of it.
Put the dry cous cous into the bowl and drizzle with some olive oil to prevent the grains from sticking together.
Pour the boiling water over the grains, cover, and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Once the water has soaked up, season with salt, pepper and lemon and set aside. You can also use a fork to 'fluff up' the grains.
Once the chicken is cooked, serve in bowls over couscous and sprinkle with the flaked almonds and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

FAQs

What if I am gluten free and can't have couscous?

Not to worry! While couscous is delicious, we know that everyone has different dietary needs. Rice is an amazing alternative for couscous in this recipe. It will still soak up all the lovely casserole sauce and provides a great source of carbohydrates.

Can I use chicken breast?

While you could try using chicken breast, we recommend using chicken thigh for this recipe. Chicken breast cooks much faster and would become more dry when cooked for the full 35-40 minutes, as opposed to chicken thigh which stays nice and tender.