Lebanese Chicken Stew

This dish is sweet and peppery, delicious served with basic pilaf. The original recipe called for whole quail, yet they are hard to come by!! So here it is with chicken. I have only made this with fillets, but chicken pieces with bones would work equally well, even better perhaps.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  kg boneless skinless chicken thighs
•  salt and pepper
•  plain flour, for dusting
•  olive oil
• 1  leek, white part only, finely sliced
• 2  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2  red onions, peeled and quartered
• 1⁄2 teaspoon saffron thread
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 500  ml  chicken stock
• 1  tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1  tablespoon dates, seeded and diced
• 1  lemon juice

Directions

1. Dust chicken fillets in seasoned flour to coat.
2. Heat olive oil in stew pot and brown chicken in batches, set aside.
3. Add a little more oil and gently fry the leek, garlic, ginger and onions until softened, 5-8 minutes.
4. Add spices and stock, cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the mixture has turned a beautiful saffron yellow.
5. Return the chicken to the pot along with the tomato and dates and simmer for a further 30-40 minutes until chicken is meltingly tender!
6. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
7. Serve with any pilaf and plenty of yoghurt.