Moroccan Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 None chicken thighs, fat trimmed
1 None lemon, peel finely grated
1 tsp salt
6 None dried figs, halved, stalks trimmed
1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
None None Olive oil, for frying
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup pine nuts
None None Flaked sea salt
None None Lemon wedges, to serve
1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted
None None Cilantro sprigs, to garnish

Preparation

Place chicken in a large bowl. Add lemon peel and juice and salt. Rub into chicken and set aside for 10 mins.
Soak figs in a bowl of hot water for 15 mins then drain.
Mix dried mint, cumin, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Rub mixture onto chicken.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat. Brown chicken in batches, add more oil if needed. (If spices burn, scrape out and discard.)
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1 tbsp oil and onions the pan. Cover and cook gently for 7-10 mins until onions are soft. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 min. Add stock and bring to a gentle boil. Return chicken to pan. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 25 mins.
Add drained figs, prunes and ground almonds. Continue cooking for a further 30 mins, until chicken is very tender.
Dry toast pine nuts in a small skillet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve chicken with squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and pine nuts and garnish with cilantro.