Tajin Sibnekh (Chicken and Egg Tagine)

This is a traditional Tunisian recipe for a classic stew of potatoes, chicken breasts and peas flavoured with chillies and spices that's finished by the inclusion of beaten eggs and which is typically cooked in an earthenware tagine.

Ingredients:

A tagine is the dish in which the meal is cooked rather than the meal itself. It's an earthenware pot with a tall conical lid hat has a hole in the top. The lid acts like a condenser, allowing the steam from the dish to coalesce and drip back into the dish. This allows for low, slow, stewing on top of a range with very little intervention on the cook's part as the dish will not dry out. If you are going to cook North African or Middle Eastern dishes then it's well worth your while investing in a Tagine.

 80ml vegetable oil

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

225g chicken breasts, diced

1 large onion, diced

 1 tbsp Harissa

1 tsp Ras el hanout

120ml water

1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp butter

1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and shredded

8 eggs

150g fresh or frozen garden peas

2 heaped tbsp freshly-grated Parmesan cheese s

alt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in a tagine or cassrole dish over medium heat then add the potatoes and fry until golden brown and tender (about 7 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the chicken and cook until just coloured on all sides (about 5 minutes). Now add the onion and continue cooking until the onion has softened and has turned translucent (without colouring).

Add the harissa and the ras el hanout and stir-in before adding the water, tomato paste and butter. Bring to a simmer then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Reduce to a low heat as you prepare the egg mixture.

Add the eggs to a large bowl and beat until smooth. Stir-in the peas, Parmesan cheese and fried potatoes. Add this a spoonful at a time into the chicken mixture, blending well after each addition. Season to taste then add the lid and cook slowly until the mixture is firm and golden brown. Allow to cool cut into 12 pieces and serve.

you can purchase the Harissa and The ras el Hanout spice from Amazon