Chickpea Tagine With Chicken and Apricots

Materials:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
• salt & pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
• 3 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 c. dried apricots
• 1 c. chopped tomato (fresh or canned or boxed, with juice)
• 2 c. cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
• 1 to 2 c. chicken stock (or reserved bean liquid), or more as needed
• 3/4 c. bulgur
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Methods:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Put oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chicken and brown well on both sides; remove from pan and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add onion to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, dried apricots and tomato. Cook and stir long enough to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add chickpeas and 1 cup of stock to the pan and turn heat back to medium-high.
6. When mixture starts to gently bubble, return chicken to the pan. Cover pot, turn heat to low and cook, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture is bubbling gently, for about 15 minutes, or until tomatoes break down and flavors begin the meld.
7. Stir in bulgur, adding more stock if necessary so that the mixture is covered with about an inch of liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Cover and cook until chicken and bulgur are both done, about 10-15 minutes.
9. Taste, adjust the seasonings, and serve in bowls garnished with chopped fresh parsley.