Chicken And Chickpea Tagine

• 4 free range chicken drumsticks
• 1 tbsp Tagine paste
• 1 tsp oil 
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, large chunks
• 1 orange pepper, large chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4cm fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• pinch of saffron threads
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 tsp honey
• 500ml low salt chicken stock
• 75g dried apricots, quartered
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 75g green olives
• 20g fresh mint
• 30g fresh coriander
• 250g cous cous
• 1tbsp flaked almonds, toasted, to serve (if desired)

Preparation:

1. Into a heated heavy bottomed casserole pan, spray the oil, add the drumsticks to brown all over

2. After a few mins, add the tagine paste, continue to colour the chicken. Remove drumsticks from the pan

3. In the same pan, fry the onion, carrots and peppers for around 5 mins. Add the garlic, ginger, spices, and a splash of water to stop the spices burning. Cook for 5 mins

4. Add the tomato puree, honey, tinned tomatoes & apricots, stir well. Return the chicken to the pan, along with 400mls of the stock, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until tender and the meat is falling away from the bone, approx 30 mins. Add the olives, and chickpeas and cook for a further 5 mins
5. To prepare the cous cous, add it to a heatproof bowl, pour over the last of the remaining stock and cover with cling film – leave for 5 mins then give it a mix then cover for another 5 minutes
6. Garnish with the fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon and flaked almonds