Warming Spice...and Chicken so Nice...(Winter Warmers pt3)

Another day at work, and the need for another speedy supper...and I have the perfect thing...(it's even another Winter Warmer-ish!!). It is a recipe I found in a Good Food Magazine supplement about 5 or 6 years ago, but the supplement was lost at least 2 years ago...however as it is a popular meal in our house, it's etched in my mind, at least my version is...I didn't even get to copy it down before losing it, so this may or may not be like the original now...as my 'tweaks' may well have changed it into a completely new dish...anyway, it is now known in our house as...

My Moroccan-ish Chicken Dish

Serves: 2 with leftovers or 4 with none!

Prep time: 10mins

Cooking time: 30mins

Ingredients:

1-2Tbsp olive oil

4 Chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, each one cut into 3 chunks

4-5 Banana shallots, diced (or 1 onion, diced)

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

16 dried apricots

500ml hot chicken stock

½ tsp ground cinnamon

large pinch saffron strands

To Serve:

150g couscous (for 2) 300g (for 4)

knob of butter

1Tbsp mint jelly

Method:

• Put the saffron in about 100-150ml of the chicken stock. Leave this to soak while you...
• ...heat the oil in a pan (I tend to use a Le Crueset) brown the chicken chunks on all sides - should take about 5-10mins.

• Add the shallots and garlic to the chicken, stir, put the lid on and cook over low-ish heat for another 5 mins - or until the shallots are softened.

• Then you just have to add the other ingredients, saffron in stock, apricots, cinnamon and roughly half of the stock that is left (which should be about150ml).
• Bring this to the boil,then turn to a low simmer for about 15-20mins until the chicken is cooked through. The sauce will reduce down and thicken up. If it looks too thick just add a splash of boiling water to the pan.

• 10mins from the end of the cooking time you need to prepare the couscous. Measure out the amount you need - as only 2 of us were eating it tonight I used 150g couscous. To this you add the last 150ml HOT stock (I microwave mine if it's gone too cold...it needs to be boiling for the couscous!), the mint jelly and knob of butter. Stir well and cover with cling film...leave for 10mins. **NB. If there are 4 of you eating it, make up another 150ml HOT chicken stock...The rule I go by is whatever weight of couscous I'm using, I use the same amount of liquid in ml**
• Once 10mins is up. uncover and 'fluff-up' with a fork.

• Serve with green beans and tenderstem broccoli.
• Even my children like this one, as the apricots give it a sweetness they enjoy, and the spice from the cinnamon is warm rather than spicy hot!! So this is an all round winner in our house....although my daughter prefers hers with a mix of wild and white rice! There's always one that has to be different!