Madhouse recipe : Turkey, merguez & apricot tagine

This is a totally made-up recipe, inspired by the flavours of Morocco and Tunisia, and the fact that I wanted a meal that I could throw in the slow cooker and let it get on with it. Mission accomplished !

Turkey, merguez & apricot tagine

ingredients :

chicken or turkey thighs

a pack of merguez or spicy sausages

2 turnips

3 carrots

2 onions

a tin of chopped tomatoes

2 courgettes

a handful of dried apricots

salt, pepper

1tsp ras el hanout

couscous (to serve)

Cook the chicken/turkey on a high heat in a frying pan to sear on all sides. This isn't an essential step but it gives it some nice colour and extra flavour, if you have time.

Throw the chicken/turkey in the slow cooker. Peel and chop the carrots, turnips and onions and add them to the pot. (You might notice that I added my onions at a later stage - this is because I had run out and had to pop to the shop to buy some once it was underway  !)

Add a tin of tomatoes, fill the empty can with water and add that too. Sprinkle over some salt, pepper and ras el hanout spices. Turn the slow cooker on low and leave to cook for a couple of hours.

In the same pan you used for the chicken/turkey, fry the merguez - these are North African-style, spicy, dark red sausages that are widespread in France, but you could use chorizo or smoked sausages instead. Drain off the excess fat on kitchen paper and reserve.

About an hour before you want to eat, add the courgettes. (This is where I popped in the onions that I had just bought !)

Chop the merguez into halves, and add to the pot, along with a handful of dried apricots.

Leave for an extra hour, giving it all a good stir to mix everything up. The chicken/turkey should be falling off the bone and the vegetables should be soft but not mushy. Serve with couscous (or as it is, if you prefer).

This was a family meal so I kept the spice level low, but you could add chilli powder or extra ras el hanout to take it up a notch.

Adding to this month's #KitchenClearout linky as it used up odds and ends from the freezer (turkey and merguez, leftover from barbecue season).