Tonight's Dinner: Chicken tagine with dried apricots and olives

When it comes to cooking chicken there are so many different choices, you could easily have chicken every night of the week and never have the same dish twice. And, since I love chicken, I'm always on the lookout for a new recipe, but I must admit, even I wasn't sure about this one. I mean, it calls for green olives and dried apricots; those are not two flavors I would ever consider putting together. It's okay, be honest, they sound horrible together, right? To make matters worse, the recipe called for chicken thighs. That's right, that part of the bird that gets a horrible rap for being too fatty and high in cholesterol. In truth, however, the fat isn't too bad, and I do love all the spices needed to make the rub.

So, I figured, why not? I love chicken, dried apricots, and green olives and, if I like them all separately, maybe they'll be great together. Well, I'm so happy I took the leap and made this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. It was sweet and spicy and absolutely delicious. I want to make it again and something tells me you will, too.

Chicken Tagine with Dried Apricots and Olives

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, halved
• 1 large brown onion, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, halved
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins (optional)
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine cumin, tumeric, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; rub spice blend evenly over thighs and under the skin.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add thighs to hot oil and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned, turning to brown evenly.
3. Add broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot; add potatoes, onion, olives, and apricots; bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and cover; simmer, covered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.
4. Transfer chicken and potatoes to a serving platter; bring broth mixture to a boil and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until slightly thickened; pour broth mixture over chicken and potatoes. If desired, sprinkle with raisins and/or almonds and serve immediately.

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