30 Min Chicken Tagine from Dream Destinations Night

Serves 4.   From The Best 30-Minute Recipe.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

In search of a shortcut that could put our chicken tagine recipe on the table in 30 minutes, we gave the chicken a head start by precooking it in the microwave. After trying a variety of powers and cooking times, we found the power and time combination that gave us what we were looking for: halfway cooked chicken that cooked through in the braising liquid in about 10 minutes. For the chicken itself, we most liked boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which were packed with flavor and had a very moist texture, for our chicken tagine recipe.

Tagines are meat stews that feature a blend of sweet and savory ingredients. The dish of chicken will be very hot coming out of the microwave—be sure to set it on a clean, dry surface or trivet, and be careful of hot steam when removing the plastic wrap. Serve the tagine over couscous or rice.

INGREDIENTS

• 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1onion , minced
• 2teaspoons garam masala (see note)
• 4garlic cloves , minced
• 2tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2cup dried apricots , quartered
• 1(15-ounce) can chickpeas , rinsed
• 2tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. MAKING THE MINUTES COUNT: Immediately start the chicken in the microwave, then mince the onion. Measure out the flour and broth and chop the apricots while the onion cooks.
2. 1. MICROWAVE CHICKEN: Season chicken with salt and pepper and arrange in single layer in ­microwave-safe casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on 50 percent power for 15 minutes.
3. 2. SAUTÉ AROMATICS: While chicken cooks, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in onion, garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. 3. BUILD SAUCE: Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in tomatoes, apricots, and chickpeas, bring to simmer, and cook until apricots begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
5. 4. SIMMER CHICKEN: Reduce heat to low and add microwaved chicken with any accumulated juices. Cover and continue to cook until chicken is tender, about 10 minutes.
6. 5. FINISH: Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.