Chicken and beans with tahini FF

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced into wedges
4 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
½ tbsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp tomato purée
150g tomatoes, roughly chopped (or use ½ x 400g tin chopped tomatoes)
1 x 640g pack skinless chicken thigh fillets
1 x 400g tin butter beans
1 x 400g tin chickpeas
1 chicken stock cube*
1 tbsp clear honey
100g dried apricots, halved
zest and juice of 1 lemon
150g shredded kale, tough stalks removed
3 tbsp tahini, stirred
juice of ½ a lemon

Step by step

1. 1 Heat the oil in a lidded deep sauté pan or flameproof casserole, add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes or until golden.
2. 2 Mix in the spices and tomato purée and stir for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes until they start to break down.
3. 3 Slice each chicken thigh fillet into 3 or 4 chunky pieces, depending on size. Mix these into the spiced onions, then tip in the butter beans and the chickpeas (including the liquid from the tins). Crumble in the stock cube and add the honey, apricots, lemon zest and juice and stir well.
4. 4 Cover the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces are cooked through and tender.
5. 5 Stir the kale into the stew, re-cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the kale has wilted. Meanwhile, mix the tahini and lemon juice together in a bowl, then gradually mix in 3-4 tablespoons of cold water – it will seize up at first, but keep stirring as you add the water and it will thin down. Season with a pinch of salt.
6. 6 Ladle the stew into warmed bowls and top with a drizzle of tahini cream. *Check your stock is gluten-free if required.

Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 4, cool and chill for up to 4 days, or freeze. Defrost if needed and reheat, adding a splash of water, before continuing from step 5.