Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Caramelized Pears
This chicken tagine cooked in a ceramic tagine pot is always meltingly tender. Adding sweet, caramelized pears at the end makes this Moroccan dish irresistible. You can use a heavy-bottomed ceramic or cast iron casserole if you don't have a tagine pot.
olive oil, divided
7
tablespoons
onions, peeled and sliced
2
whole chicken, cut into pieces
1
ground turmeric
1
teaspoon
ground cumin
1
teaspoon
ground coriander
1
teaspoon
salt
1
teaspoon
cinnamon sticks
3
bay leaves, crushed
2
fresh cilantro, chopped
1
bunch
fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
2
tablespoons
water
½
cup
butter
2
tablespoons
pears, cored and sliced
2
honey
2
tablespoons
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until softened and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer onions into a tagine pot. Layer chicken pieces on top of onions.
  Combine turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, and salt in a small bowl; mix well with remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil. Spread spice mixture onto the chicken pieces. Add cinnamon pieces, bay leaves, ginger, and cilantro. Pour in 1/2 cup of water and cover tagine pot with a lid.
  Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
  Melt butter in a skillet over low heat while chicken is cooking. Add sliced pears and honey and cook, while stirring, until honey has caramelized.
  Remove tagine from the oven and stir in caramelized pears. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
