Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Honey
(Adapted from The Perfect Pantry web site.)

We often eat honey for Rosh Hashanah for a sweet new year. This tagine with honey is especially easy because it is made in one pot (or tagine) and requires no separate steps for browning the chicken or the onion. One hour on the stove and it’s done.

INGREDIENTS:

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of major fat pieces, cut into 3 large chunks per thigh
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 oz pitted dried prunes
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup water
1-2 preserved lemons, insides discarded, cut in strips (optional)
(Can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice if you don't have preserved lemon)

DIRECTIONS:

Place the cut chicken, onion, spices, ½ teaspoon salt, and olive oil in a heavy casserole or tagine. Stir everything together and let it stand for 10 minutes up to several hours
Add the prunes, almonds, the rest of the salt, and honey and stir. Add the water, cover and cook over lowest heat for an hour, stirring occasionally, breaking up the prunes as they soften.
After 45 minutes add the preserved lemon, if you’re using it. Cook another 15 or 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and the prunes have reduced to a thick sauce. The sauce will be watery for a while but near the end it will thicken. If it doesn’t, turn up the heat a little and stir until the thick sauce forms, at which point the dish will be done.
Serve with couscous.
Serves 6.