Guinea fowl tagine with chickpeas, squash & apricots

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N/A

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

2 guinea fowl , jointed like a chicken (ask your butcher to do this or see our video on how to joint a chicken, in 'Try', below)

2 onions , roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves , chopped

1 butternut squash or small pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into large chunks

1 tbsp ras-el-hanout

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground ginger

1 large cinnamon stick

small squeeze of clear honey

large pinch of saffron , soaked in 1 tbsp boiling water

juice 1 lemon

850ml chicken stock

400g can chickpea , drained and rinsed

200g dried apricot

small bunch coriander

couscous or rice, to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a large, shallow flameproof casserole dish. Season the guinea fowl pieces and brown them – in batches, if necessary – then remove to a plate.

Fry the onions in the same dish until softened, then add the garlic and squash, cooking for 1-2 mins. Tip in the spices and cook for a few mins before adding the honey, saffron and lemon juice. Pour in the chicken stock and the chickpeas.

Submerge the guinea fowl pieces in the stock and add the apricots. Cover the dish and simmer everything very gently for 50 mins-1 hr, until the fowl and squash are both tender. Stir through the coriander and serve with couscous or rice.