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
Walnut Cheese Log
Cheese to room temp.
In a bowl, mix cheese & alcohol in a processor with salt and pepper until smooth.
Mix chilli with herbs and nuts, then sprinkle on a 30cm piece of plastic wrap, leaving a 2cm border.
Spoon cheese along one end of herbs. Lift wrap and roll cheese away from you into a log, pressing gently to coat well in herbs, shape the mixture into a log, then wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, until the mixture is firm.
Serve with crackers
Mini Indulgent Puddings
Preheat oven to 150°C
- Combine fruit, jellied cranberry sauce, brandy and spices in a large bowl, cover and leave to stand overnight.
- Brush ten 1-cup pudding basins (ramekins) with melted butter and line base with baking paper.
- Mix eggs, butter, brown sugar and flours until well combined, then stir through fruit mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared basins.
- Cut a large circle of foil and baking paper and place over each pudding, foil side up. Secure tightly with kitchen string.
- Place pudding in a large saucepan and add enough boiling water to fill halfway up the sides. Cover and bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 11⁄4 hours, replenishing water when needed.
- Remove from water and store well wrapped until Christmas.
Chocolate Bunny Cakes (Gluten Free)
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C). Line 10 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
- Place eggs, honey, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat well with electric beaters for 2 minutes. Fold in the almond meal, flour, cocoa and baking powder until mixture is well combined. Stir in the sultanas.
- Spoon mixture between paper cases and bake for 22-24 minutes until cooked. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For icing, beat together the cream cheese and honey until smooth. Dollop over the top of cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with coconut. Decorate with ears and nose.
Spiced Chicken Pilaf
- Toss chicken with spices and a small drizzle of the oil. Heat half the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden and just cooked through. Allow to cool slightly, then break into pieces. Set aside.
- Add remaining oil to pan and cook onion and garlic for several minutes until tender. Stir in rice with stock and bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, partially covered.
- Add chicken pieces, zucchini and currants to pan, cooking a further 3-4 minutes. Serve sprinkled with almonds and coriander. Accompany with yoghurt and lemon wedges.
Fruit and Nut Easter Eggs
Combine mixed fruit, dates, 90g seed mix, 80g hazelnuts, 20g coconut, coconut oil, vanilla essence, coffee and salt in a food processor and blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
Divide into 25 equal portions and roll each into a ball, then shape into an egg shape.
Place remaining seed mix into a food processor and process to a coarse crumb. Transfer to a small bowl. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. Pour remaining coconut into a small bowl.
To decorate, roll 6 eggs in coconut, 6 in seed mix crumb, 6 in hazelnut crumb and leave 7 plain. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving cold.
Jewelled Rice
To prep: place the Sunmuscat sultanas and cranberries into a bowl and cover with water. Let sit and rehydrate for 10-15 minutes. Then drain.
Place the saffron threads into a bowl with 2 tablespoons of hot water and allow to sit and steep.
Melt 1 ½ tablespoons of the ghee into a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook, stirring for 10 minutes, until the onion is well caramelised. Remove half of the onion and set aside – this will be used for garnishing. Add half of the soaked sunmuscats and cranberries, the rice, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Continue cooking and stirring, until the rice is well coated in the oil and spices, about 1 minute. Add in 3 cups of boiling water and the salt. Stir everything together, then bring to the boil. Cover and turn heat down to low and cook, without disturbing for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit, untouched, for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat another medium frying pan over medium heat. Add in the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of ghee, the almonds and cashews. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until the nuts are golden brown. Be careful not to burn! Set aside for serving.
Uncover the rice, drizzle over the saffron water and toss the rice just a little so half of the rice turns golden. Transfer to a large serving plate, then garnish with the ghee-toasted nuts, the remaining sunmuscats and currants and caramelised onion. Sprinkle over the coriander and dill, to finish.
