Serranía Kitchen - recipes from around the world

Rita first came across this dish at an international food festival in Montejaque in 2010 where it won first prize. The cook was Heather Cooper, owner with her husband Wayne, of HIKE AND BIKE in Ronda. Heather kindly shared the recipe, which Rita has adapted into one of her own favourite signature dishes…

Ingredients – (4 people)

4 chicken breasts (approx. 200g each) cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of ground ginger (or fresh, finely chopped)
2 teaspoons of ground turmeric
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg
375 ml chicken broth
250 ml of water
70 g dates, chopped
90 g honey
80 g roasted almond flakes
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander

Method

Heat half of the olive oil and fry the chicken until brown. Lay aside on kitchen paper.
Heat the rest of the oil and fry the onion until soft.
Add the spices, stir well and fry for another minute.
Return the chicken to the pan with the broth and water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and simmer for about 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened and the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Stir in the dates, honey and nuts and warm them through.
Just before serving, stir in the coriander.
Serve with couscous.

Suggested drink

Cerveza tostada or a good tempranillo from Ribera del Duero or La Rioja

©Rita Whitelock

 Tags: chicken, heather cooper, hike and bike, ronda, montejaque, Moroccan recipe