Dune Chicken Tagine After the Marrakech Souks

Exploring the Souks of Marrakech taught me that spice piles are geography you can smell. I don't own a conical tagine — I use a Dutch oven and pretend it's wearing a fez. Desert twist: California dates instead of dried apricots when the pantry plays politics.

What you'll need

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs, seasoned with salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon
• 2 onions sliced, 4 garlic cloves, thumb ginger grated
• 1 cup pitted dates or apricots, 1 preserved lemon (flesh scraped, rind sliced thin)
• 2 cups chicken stock, pinch saffron optional, handful olives
• Cilantro; couscous cooked per package with a knob of butter

How it comes together

1. Brown chicken; remove. Soften onions; add garlic, ginger, spices until fragrant.
2. Nestle chicken back; add fruit, lemon rind, stock. Simmer covered 45 minutes.
3. Olives in last 10; adjust salt. Serve over couscous like you mean diplomacy.

Carl says: If the sauce reduces too far, add stock and blame the harmattan — works every time.