Moroccan chicken tray bake with turmeric, apricots, honey and pistachio

Serves four

And for the rest of the week…

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1.5 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 0.5 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 chicken legs
• 6 apricots
• 1 whole lemon
• 2 small fennel bulbs
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 8 cloves garlic
• 30g red-wine vinegar
• 50g pistachios
• 1 small bunch coriander

Step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Step 2
Put the cumin, coriander and peppercorns in a mortar and grind very fine.

Step 3
Transfer to a large bowl, add the other spices and stir in the honey, two tablespoons of oil and two teaspoons of salt.

Step 4
Once everything is well amalgamated, cut a few slashes into the chicken legs, add them to the bowl and rub the sticky mixture all over and into the chicken until all the legs are nicely coated.

Step 5
Leave to marinate while you prepare everything else.

Step 6
Scatter the apricots, lemon wedges, fennel, tomatoes and garlic over the base of a large baking dish that’ll easily accommodate the chicken in a single layer, then sit the chicken legs on top, making sure there’s a little space between them.

Step 7
Drizzle over any remaining marinade and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, add the red-wine vinegar and two tablespoons of water, then roast for 45 minutes.

Step 8
Remove from the oven, scatter the pistachios all over the top, and return the dish to the oven for a final 10 minutes.

Step 9
Check that the chicken is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the leg near the bone: if the juices run clear, it’s ready.

Step 10
Remove from the oven, cover the dish with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Step 11
Use that time to prepare some couscous to serve with it.

Step 12
When you’re ready to eat, rip over the coriander leaves and serve with a good dollop of yoghurt.