Chicken, eggplant, and tomato tagine

Serves 8

Ingredients:

3–4 tbsp olive oil

8 chicken pieces (thighs and breasts)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 eggplants, cut into bite-size cubes

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 onions, finely grated

3 fresh hot red chiles, seeded and finely chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

2 bay leaves

4lb (1.8kg) tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste or purée

4 preserved lemons, halved and pith discarded

handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Method:

1 Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy pot. Season the chicken with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and add to the pot. Cook for 8 minutes, or until lightly golden on both sides, stirring occasionally, then remove from pot and set aside. Toss the eggplants in the cinnamon and add to the pot with 1 tablespoon oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until golden. Add more oil if needed. Remove and set aside.

2 Add 1 tablespoon oil, then add the onions, chiles, cumin, and bay leaves. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Return the chicken and eggplant to the pan along with the tomatoes and tomato paste or purée. Cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, adding hot water if the mixture starts to look too dry.

3 Stir in the preserved lemons and cilantro and serve with plenty of fluffy couscous and some harissa on the side.

Chicken, eggplant, and tomato tagine