spiced chicken stew

How to make spiced chicken stew recipe

Serves 4, Total cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
800 g (1¾ lb) skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh root ginger
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
large pinch of saffron threads
750 ml (1¼ pints) hot chicken stock
1 tablespoon rose harissa paste
8 green olives, pitted
8 black olives, pitted
6 small preserved lemons, halved
salt and pepper

Method:
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan, add the chicken and onion and cook over a high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add the garlic, ginger, red chilli, cumin, cinnamon sticks and turmeric and fry, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Stir in the carrots, saffron and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender.

Add the harissa, olives and preserved lemons, season to taste and stir to mix well. Ladle into warm bowls and serve immediately.

For spicy lemon chicken salad:
Put 4 roughly shredded ready-cooked chicken breasts and the leaves from 1 cos (Romaine) lettuce in a large serving dish. Mix together the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemons, 2 teaspoons harissa paste, 1 tablespoon clear honey and 6 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl. Season and serve with the salad. Total cooking time 10 minutes.

spiced chicken stew