A tagine is a stew that’s cooked in a ceramic dish with a conical lid that sits on top of it, but you can also just cook it in a dutch oven. The original recipe called for a cup of golden raisins and 3 Tbsp honey, but I found it too sweet, so I’ve cut them both in half.  This recipe makes a nice, large batch.

Moroccan Spice Mix:
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper

Blend and set aside.

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, cut in wedges
6 cloves of garlic, halved
5-6 saffron threads
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. of butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1″ cubes
1 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Rub 1 Tbsp spice mix on chicken. Heat oil in a dutch oven and saute chicken for 6-8 minutes. Remove and add a little more oil, than add onions, garlic and saffron. Cook 2 minutes and add squash. Add 2 tsp more of spice mix. Add chicken back in, and add broth and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer one hour, stirring very gently once in a while.

Add raisins and cook 10-20 more minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley just before serving with Couscous, or whole wheat flour tortillas warmed in the oven.