Ingredients

Serves 4

Chicken Balls:
400 g chicken breast
400 g chicken thigh
40 g Aleppo pepper
5 cloves garlic
½ bunch parsley
2 tbsp salt to taste


50 g butter
50 g flour


500 ml reduced chicken stock
1 tbsp Aleppo pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
1tbs toasted and coarsely crushed cumin seeds
2 bosc pears
200 g chopped dates
1 onion diced
1 large eggplant cut into2cm cubed pieces
4 eggs
4 tbsp coriander chopped
100mls lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

To make the chicken balls, mince the chicken breast and thigh together. Mix all together in a bowl with the seasoning so it comes together as a pliable mixture
Roll into to 8, 100g balls.

Mix the butter and flour together to form a paste to be used to thicken the sauce.

In a warm pan seal off chicken balls with olive oil.

Add pears, onions, eggplant and dates.

Add spices and sweat off for a few minutes until the onions have become soft.

Sprinkle in a teaspoon of the flour and butter mixture and toss through the pan until it breaks down.

Add the chicken stock and cook out for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.

Check seasoning and adjust with lemon juice and coriander.

Crack the eggs into the pan and allow to simmer and poach eggs in the sauce.

Remove from heat and serve at the table in the cooking pan or tagine