Persian chicken with pistachio and apricot couscous
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Photographed by Dan Jones
Persian chicken with pistachio and apricot couscous
Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
363Kcal
Fat
6gr
Saturates
2gr
Carbs
42gr
Sugars
21gr
Fibre
5gr
Protein
36gr
Salt
0.9gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- a pinch of saffron threads
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 x 615g pack skinless boneless chicken thigh fillets, halved
- 400ml chicken stock
- 500g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced thickly
- 150g ready-to-eat prunes
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- a handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to serve
For the couscous
- 400ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 250g couscous
- 125g dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 100g pistachios, roughly chopped
- zest and juice of 1 large orange
- a large handful of mint, chopped (reserve a few mint leaves to garnish)
- a large handful of parsley leaves
Step by step
Get ahead
Make a day ahead, cool, cover and chill, then reheat until piping hot.
- Put the saffron threads in a small bowl with 2 tbsp boiling water and set aside to steep.
- Heat the oil in a casserole, add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until starting to soften. Mix in the turmeric, cumin and tomato purée and cook for 30 seconds or so before adding the chicken and seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is lightly coloured on all sides.
- Meanwhile for the couscous: pour the stock over the couscous and apricots, cover and leave for 15 minutes. Fluff up with a fork, season and stir in the remaining ingredients. Garnish with the reserved mint.
- Back to the casserole: Add the stock, potatoes, carrots, prunes, lime juice and saffron infusion. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the casserole with a lid, and cook gently for 40-45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. The prunes will start to break down and thicken the sauce. Check the seasoning, ladle into bowls and scatter with the parsley. Serve with pistachio and apricot couscous.
Chef quote
Based on a traditional Iranian recipe, prunes add a rich fruity note to the layers of flavour in this fragrant stew. Serve with couscous.
