Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Apricots

Ingredients

• 1  chicken cut into 8 pieces
• 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 0.5 cup flour all-purpose
• 2 tablespoons parsley fresh chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup olive green pitted halved
• 2 teaspoons juice of lemon 
• 1.5 cups chicken broth low-sodium
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika 
• 1 pinch saffron threads dissolved in broth, optional crumbled
• 15 servings salt and pepper 
• 0.3 cup slivered almonds toasted
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 10  apricot dried halved quartered

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• slow cooker

Directions

1. Rinse chicken with cool water and pat dry.
2. Combine flour, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
3. Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides, cook chicken, turning often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes (work in batches if necessary).
4. Transfer to a slow cooker.
5. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. of fat from skillet.
6. Add onion to skillet and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. (If pan begins to scorch, add some of the broth and continue stirring.)
7. Add garlic; saut 1 minute longer. Stir in paprika, cumin and cinnamon and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds (mixture will be dry).
8. Pour in broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring to pick up any browned bits. Boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
9. Pour mixture over chicken in slow cooker.
10. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours. About 1 hour before chicken is done, scatter apricots and olives over chicken and sprinkle with lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and spoon pan juices with apricots and olives over and around chicken.
12. Sprinkle with almonds.
13. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve.