Spicy Chicken with Dried Fruit

Ingredients

• 200 g dried figs
• 200 g dried apricots
• 300 g silver onions
• 1 chicken (pre-cooked, about 1.2 kg)
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 cm fresh ginger
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp baharat
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water
• 2 untreated limes (juice)
• 5 cm cucumber
• 250 g couscous (instant)
• 300 ml poultry broth
• 1 bunch fresh chopped parsley
• 50 g Pine nuts

Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak the dried fruits in lukewarm water. Peel the onions.

2. 2.

   Wash and pat dry the chicken. Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Season the inside of the chicken with salt and cayenne pepper, then tie it with kitchen twine.

3. 3.

   Whisk together honey, oil, tomato paste, baharat, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and cayenne pepper and brush onto the chicken. Wet a Dutch oven and place the chicken breast-side up inside.

4. 4.

   Mix the onions with the fruits, cinnamon stick, star anise, 2 tbsp lime juice, and orange blossom water; spread around the chicken. Seal the pot and put it in a cold oven. Bake at 220 °C (convection) for about 1 hour. Remove the lid and brown the chicken for another ~25 minutes.

5. 5.

   Meanwhile, wash the cucumber, halve lengthwise, deseed, and dice finely. Place couscous in a bowl, pour hot broth over it, let sit 10 minutes, fluff with a fork, then fold in chopped parsley, pine nuts, diced cucumber, and lime juice.

6. 6.

   Serve everything together on a platter.