Chakhokhbili

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg chicken, jointed into 10 pieces
• 3 onions, sliced
• 600 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp blue fenugreek
• 1/2 tsp dried marigold petals
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 30 g butter
• 1 large bunch coriander, chopped
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 small bunch basil, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Before you cook

• Joint the chicken into 10 pieces and pat them dry.
• Slice the onions thinly.
• Peel and chop the tomatoes.
• Crush the garlic and chop all three bunches of herbs.

Steps

1. Put the chicken pieces skin side down in a wide dry heavy pot over medium heat.
2. Cook them for 12 minutes without adding any fat, turning once, until they release their juices and take colour.
3. Add the butter and the sliced onions to the pot.
4. Cook the onions for 10 minutes, stirring, until they collapse into the chicken juices.
5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and the salt.
6. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
7. Stir in the ground coriander, blue fenugreek, marigold and chilli flakes.
8. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to concentrate the sauce.
9. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the crushed garlic and all the chopped herbs.
10. Cover the pot and leave it to stand for 10 minutes so the herbs perfume the stew rather than cook.
11. Serve it straight from the pot with bread for the sauce.