Moroccan chicken & couscous with chickpeas sultanas & nuts
ABC NSW radio segmentWe were having friends over to play Mahjong so needed to get dinner organised beforehand. Decided to cook this in the morning to allow plenty of time for flavours to develop and blend and then it only had to be reheated.
Chicken pieces on the bone could be used as they have good flavour but they’re fiddlier to eat. Anyway, had some skinless chicken thigh fillets in the fridge so they were perfect. They have a richer flavour and more moisture than chicken breasts and can withstand long slow cooking without drying out.
I cooked on a low heat on the stovetop but it’s perfect for a slow cooker.
Make extra as it reheats perfectly for lunch or dinner the next day. The flavours only get better!
I didn’t have any ground ginger but found tucked away in the back of the cupboard some ginger honey, bought originally from a farmers market in the country. So… I added half regular honey and half ginger honey instead of ground ginger.
Couscous with chickpeas, sultanas, nuts & mixed seeds
Moroccan Chicken
Serves 6
Ingredients
1.5kg chicken thigh fillets
50g butter or olive oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 large brown onions, cut in thin wedges
2 cups (500ml) chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup (about 140g) pitted dates
2 tablespoons honey
6 coriander sprigs, to garnish
2 tablespoons pistachios or almonds, toasted
Serving suggestions
Couscous with chickpeas, sultanas, nuts & mixed seeds (see separate recipe)
Steamed green beans, drizzled with olive oil
Method
§ Trim any fat from the chicken. Lay chicken flat, cover with plastic wrap and hit gently with a meat mallet until even thickness.
§ Melt butter in a large pot. Add the spices and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium and cook the chicken, in batches, for 1-2 minutes each side, without allowing the spices to burn.
§ Remove chicken and add onion to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
§ Add chicken, stock, dates and honey to the pot and cover. Cook over a low heat for at least 45-60 minutes.
§ Put chicken in a serving dish and scatter coriander leaves and pistachios over the top. Serve with mixed seed couscous (see recipe below).
Couscous with chickpeas, sultanas, nuts & mixed seeds
Packets of mixed seeds are available from selected supermarkets but could be substituted with just sunflower seeds or pepitas or nuts.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup mixed seeds
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups instant couscous
400g can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup sultanas
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons butter, melted, or olive oil
Salt & cracked black pepper
Method
Put seeds and almonds in a large frypan and cook on a medium heat until golden, stirring occasionally. Heat stock in a saucepan until hot then pour over the couscous. Leave to stand 5-10 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff couscous with a fork to break up any lumps. Stir in chickpeas, sultanas, parsley and butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
In: Recipes, Radio, Chicken, Slow Cookers · Tagged with: Chicken, Couscous, Radio, Recipes, Slow cooker recipes
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