Chicken tagine with giant couscous salad

For the tagine:

Chicken quartered or legs & thighs for 41 large onion cut into rings1 large garlic cloves crushed4 tablespoons olive oil25g (1oz) fresh ginger finely choppedJuice 1 lemon2 tablespoon honey 10 dates, stones removed and cut into quarters2 tsp ground cinnamon2 tsp orange blossom water

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan stir in the onions and cook until soft and coloured. Add the garlic and ginger and cook gently for a minute. Stir in the cinnamon and tip into a tagine or casserole dish.2. Brown the chicken in the same saucepan and transfer to the tagine.3. Add the stock to the chicken and onion mixture in the tagine and stir well, salt and pepper to taste.4. Put in the oven on a medium heat, 190C, for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours until cooked. 5. Remove tagine from oven and add the dates, lemon juice and orange blossom water. Stir well and return to the oven for 20 minutes, until the dates are soft, and the sauce is a nice consistency.6. Serve with roasted vegetables and couscous.

For the couscous salad:

200g giant couscous (soaked overnight in cold water)1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped 2 sticks of celery, chopped1 tbsp parsley chopped1 tbsp lemon juice1 tbsp olive oilSalt and pepper to taste

1. After soaking the couscous for at least 4 hours, rinse well in cold water and put in colander to drain. If the couscous still looks a bit wet, turn it out on to a clean tea towel to dry.2. Add the cucumber, pepper, celery and parsley to a large bowl and mix in the drained couscous. 3. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil together and add to the salad, salt and pepper to taste. 4. Serve with grilled meats or fish, it also make a nice salad for a lunch box. You can change the parsley for mint or fresh coriander if you fancy a change.

Maroque, run by Julie Woodard (pictured right) sells beautiful Morroccan gifts, homeware and spices from its warehouse at Unit 2E Williamsport Way, Lion Barn Ind Est, Needham Market, Ipswich IP6 8RW Tel: 01449 723 133 or go to www.maroque.co.uk