Moroccan Chicken with Raisins, Almonds and Honey
Preparation 5 Minutes
Cook 2.5 Hours
Serves 4
Method
Pat chicken dry with paper towel, and sprinkle both sides of meat with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil into a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat.
When oil is shimmering, add half the chicken pieces and cook 5 – 7 mins per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Reduce heat to medium, and add onion, garlic, ras el hanout, cinnamon stick, and ginger to the hot oil. Stir well, then cook for 5 mins, until onions have started to soften.
Return chicken and any resting juices to the pot. Add stock, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1.5 hrs, until the chicken is tender.
Remove cinnamon stick and add raisins and honey to the pot. Gently stir to combine and increase heat to medium. Simmer uncovered, for a further 30 – 45 min, until the sauce has reduced and the raisins are plump. Stir through lemon juice.
Garnish with almonds and parsley. Serve with crusty bread, rice, or couscous.
Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 kg chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on (or chicken Marylands)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ras el hanout spice blend (alternatively use baharat, or garam masala)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, salt reduced
180 g Sunbeam Raisins
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp lemon juice
TO GARNISH
60 g Sunbeam Slivered Almonds, toasted
1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, chopped
Recipe Collection
Fruit & Nut Clusters
- Pre-heat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Combine nuts and seeds with coconut and sultanas.
- Heat honey and pour over nut mix, combine well.
- Drop spoonfuls onto oven tray and bake for 15 mins until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from tray.
Toasted Almond & Blueberry Salad
- Toast almonds in a pan on medium heat then set aside.
- Wash berries and slice strawberries into halves.
- Crumble blue cheese and combine salad ingredients together.
- Combine dressing ingredients and blend until smooth, pour over salad when serving.
Christmas Chocolate Fruit Truffles
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Heat cream in small saucepan until just below boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Set aside for 1 minute, then stir until melted.
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Combine 1/2 cup of the currants and half of the hazelnuts in a bowl and set aside for decorating. Place remaining currants and salt in a bowl, pour over the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm enough to roll.
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Scoop tablespoons of the chocolate mixture and use clean hands to roll into balls. To decorate, roll balls in the reserved currant and hazelnut mixture, remaining hazelnuts or coconut. Store in the refrigerator and allow to soften slightly before serving.
Christmas Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 180oC (160oC fan). Generously grease a 20cm round, loose-bottom (or springform) tin. Line the base with baking paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add biscuits. Blitz to a fine crumb. Add 250g of the melted butter and blitz until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and use a spatula to gentle push half of the mixture up the sides of the tin. Spread remaining mixture evenly over the base (using a drinking glass can help to compact the mixture around the sides and base). Refrigerate.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine remaining butter with sugar and whisk until combined. With the motor running, add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add cream cheese, quark, sour cream and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Add cornflour and mix until incorporated.
Add peel and sultanas and gently fold through the cream mixture, then spoon into the prepared base and smooth the surface.
Bake cheesecake for 10mins then reduce oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan) and bake for a further 50 mins. Turn off the oven, leaving the door slightly open, allow cheesecake to sit in the oven for a further hour until the edges of the cheesecake feel firm when gently pressed.
Allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature then remove sides of tin and transfer cheesecake to refrigerator to cool overnight.
To make the meringue decoration, place the egg whites and caster sugar in a large bowl and whip into soft peaks. Spoon the meringue on top of the cheese cake and shape with a spatula. Use kitchen blow torch to lightly crisp the outside of the meringue. Serve and enjoy!
Bircher Muesli
- Combine oats, water, lemon juice and sultanas in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Stir in yoghurt, apple and honey.
- Top with almonds and hazelnuts.
Apple, Pear & Sunmuscat Filo Tart
Preheat oven to 200ºC (fan forced 180ºC). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine all nuts, sunmuscats, breadcrumbs and cinnamon, toss to combine then drizzle over the maple syrup and mix well. Reserve 1/3 cup of this mixture.
Lay 1 sheet of filo onto prepared tray. Brush evenly with melted butter, sprinkle over ¼ of the nut mixture. Brush a second sheet with butter and arrange on top, repeat with another ¼ of the nut mixture. Repeat twice more, so you have 4 layers of brushed filo and nut mixture, then brush remaining filo sheet with butter and place on top.
Arrange apple and pear slices on top, brush with remaining butter then sprinkle over reserved nut mixture and coconut sugar.
Bake for 25-30 mins until pastry is golden. Cut into slices and serve with rocket.
