Braised Chicken With Apricots Green Olives And Herbed Couscous Food

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon. Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set aside.
• Season both sides of chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken (with any accumulated juices) back in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.
• Stir in the olives, reserved lemon zest-garlic mixture, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.
• Note: Don't fret too much over trimming the chicken thighs. The skin gets removed midway through the cooking process and most of the fat will cook off and get drained. I usually just take kitchen shears and quickly snip off any excess skin or fat. Cracked green olives are olives that have been 'cracked' or split open before curing, allowing the brine or marinade to penetrate. You can find them in your supermarket's olive bar, or substitute any green olive that you like.
• Make-Ahead: After you have completed the step of cooking the carrots, the dish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm on the stove until the chicken is heated through, then proceed to the step where the olives and remaining ingredients are added.

WINE-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
• Joint the chicken into 8 pieces. Heat a lug of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Season the chicken, add it to the pan in batches, and fry until golden all over. Set aside on a plate.
• Peel and cut the onions into wedges, chop the carrots, then peel and finely chop the garlic.
• Add the veg to the pan and gently sauté for about 15 minutes over a medium-low heat, or until soft and sticky but not coloured.
• Return the chicken to the pan. Pick, finely chop and add the rosemary, then stir in the flour. Turn up the heat to medium-high and leave to colour for a few minutes.
• Pour in the wine and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and let it reduce by half.
• Roughly chop and add the potatoes, pour in the stock, and bring it back to the boil.
• Transfer everything to a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is falling off the bone.
• Place the grapes in a small roasting dish, drizzle with a little oil and cook these in the oven for the last 20 minutes, or until caramelised.
• Stir the grapes into the chicken, finely chop and scatter over the parsley leaves, and serve.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH APRICOT COUSCOUS AND GREEN OLIVE SAUCE IN FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• To prepare the Moroccan Spice Mix for the Chicken: Combine the cinnamon stick, cloves, cayenne, cumin, fennel, coriander, and paprika in a dry skillet over low heat and toast for just a minute to release the fragrant oils; shake the pan so they don't scorch. In a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together, with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and the brown sugar. (A word of advice: make sure you thoroughly wipe out your coffee grinder before you make coffee again - Moroccan spices taste great on chicken but horrible with coffee.)
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Massage the chicken skin with the spice rub; make sure you don't miss a spot. Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the lemons halves, cilantro, and garlic in the cavity and place the chicken in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Fold the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken. If you have time, let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to really get the flavors down deep into the meat. Roast the chicken for 1 hour; pop an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; if it reads 160 degrees F, it's done. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes so the juices can settle back into the meat. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken. Pull the chicken from the bone and shred the meat, with your fingers or 2 forks. Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl and squeeze the lemon halves that have cooked inside the bird over the meat to moisten.
• To prepare the Apricot Couscous: Put the couscous in a medium bowl; pour the water over it, stir with a fork to combine. Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork. Put the apricots, almonds, green onions, mint, and cilantro on a cutting board and coarsely chop everything up; add this to the couscous. Add lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• To prepare the Green Olive Sauce: In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the shallots and chile over low heat for 8 minutes until caramelized, then scrape into a food processor. Add the olives, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of oil; puree a good 3 minutes until totally smooth.
• To put the whole thing together: put the shredded chicken and couscous on the lavosh bread, add a few spoonfuls of the olive sauce, and roll the sandwich up. Wrap in foil and take the sandwich to a picnic, if desired.

MOROCCAN INSPIRED APRICOT-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs on both sides until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Set chicken aside, then stir in onion and garlic; cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the onion has softened. Stir in apricots and season with ginger, cumin, and allspice. Cook for 1 minute until spices are fragrant.
• Pour beer into pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve the browned bits. Add chicken, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently until the chicken begins to fall away from the bone, about 30 minutes.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS, GREEN OLIVES AND HERBED COUSCOUS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375° and arrange a rack in the center.
• In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot, warm the oil over high heat. Spread the flour on a large, shallow plate. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken lightly in the flour, tapping off the excess. Working in batches, sear the chicken until browned all over, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Add the carrots, onion and celery to the drippings in the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 of teaspoon pepper and the olives, apricots, cinnamon and stock. Add the chicken and arrange so the thighs are covered with liquid. Pour any drippings on the platter into the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is fork tender.
• In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice, ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the couscous and cover. Let stand until the couscous is soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the scallions with the cilantro and mint.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and stir in the butter until melted. Transfer the couscous to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Fold in half the scallion mixture. Sprinkle the remaining scallion mixture over the braised chicken and serve immediately.

PAN-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH DRIED FRUITS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken on all sides with cumin, salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Push chicken to side of skillet. Add garlic to skillet and stir 30 seconds. Add dried fruits, wine, broth and olives and bring to boil. Simmer chicken uncovered until just cooked through, turning chicken occasionally with tongs, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plates. Increase heat and boil until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH OLIVES AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice 1 lemon; spread out the slices and sprinkle generously with salt on both sides. Stack the slices on a plate and let stand at room temperature, at least 20 minutes and up to 3 hours.
• Pat the chicken dry. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add half of the chicken, skin-side down; cover and cook until the skin is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Discard the excess oil.
• Add the butter, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, saffron and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes; stir in the cilantro and parsley. Push the onion mixture to one side, then add the chicken to the pot, skin-side up. Spoon some of the onion mixture over the chicken and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low; cover and gently simmer, 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the apricots, 1 cup water and the honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cover and cook until the apricots are plump, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until the liquid is syrupy, about 15 more minutes; set aside. Cook the almonds in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Set aside on paper towels.
• Chop the salted lemon slices into small pieces; add to the pot with the chicken along with the olives and the juice of the remaining lemon. Cover and continue cooking until the chicken is tender, about 20 more minutes. Arrange the chicken on a platter. Top with the olive sauce, apricot mixture and almonds. Serve with couscous.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS, GREEN OLIVES, AND HERBED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Spread the flour in a large shallow plate. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken lightly in the flour to coat all sides, tapping off the excess. Put a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot over high heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add 5 pieces of chicken and brown them for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, without moving them around too much so you get a good sear. Transfer the chicken to a platter and repeat with the remaining thighs.
• To the drippings in the pot, add the carrots, onion, and celery. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften and begin to get some color. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, the cinnamon, apricots, olives, and stock. Nestle the chicken in the pot so the thighs are covered with apricots, olives, and stock. Pour any drippings collected from the platter into the pot. Bring the stew to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1 hour, or until your kitchen smells amazing.
• Combine the orange juice, 1/2 cup water, and 1 tablespoon salt in a small pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the couscous, and quickly cover to keep in the heat. Let stand for 10 minutes, until the couscous is soft.
• Combine the scallions, cilantro, and mint in a small bowl.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and gently stir in the butter until completely melted.
• To serve, put the couscous in a serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Fold in half of the scallion mixture. Sprinkle the remaining scallion mixture over the braised chicken, and serve it right out of the pot.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH OLIVES, CARROTS, AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Place chicken pieces in skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Saute until chicken is nicely crisped and browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate, and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; to the same skillet, add onion, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Saute, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, the water, and wine; bring to a boil, and deglaze pan by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Return chicken to skillet, and add thyme. Bring liquid back to a boil; cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise 45 minutes.
• Remove skillet from oven, and stir in raisins, olives, and chickpeas. Return to oven; continue braising, uncovered, 20 minutes more. Remove from oven, and discard thyme. Serve hot.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH APRICOT COUSCOUS AND GREEN OLIVE SAUCE

Steps:

• To prepare the Moroccan Spice Mix for the Chicken: Combine the cinnamon stick, cloves, cayenne, cumin, fennel, coriander, and paprika in a dry skillet over low heat and toast for just a minute to release the fragrant oils; shake the pan so they don't scorch. In a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together, with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and the brown sugar. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Massage the chicken skin with the spice rub; make sure you don't miss a spot. Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the lemons halves, cilantro, and garlic in the cavity and place the chicken in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Fold the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken. If you have time, let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to really get the flavors down deep into the meat. Roast the chicken for 1 hour; pop an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; if it reads 160 degrees F, it's done. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes so the juices can settle back into the meat. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken. Pull the chicken from the bone and shred the meat, with your fingers or 2 forks. Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl and squeeze the lemon halves that have cooked inside the bird over the meat to moisten.
• To prepare the Apricot Couscous: Put the couscous in a medium bowl; pour the water over it, stir with a fork to combine. Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork. Put the apricots, almonds, green onions, mint, and cilantro on a cutting board and coarsely chop everything up; add this to the couscous. Add lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• To prepare the Green Olive Sauce: In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the shallots and chile over low heat for 8 minutes until caramelized, then scrape into a food processor. Add the olives, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of oil; puree a good 3 minutes until totally smooth.
• To put the whole thing together: put the shredded chicken and couscous on the lavosh bread, add a few spoonfuls of the olive sauce, and roll the sandwich up. Wrap in foil and take the sandwich to a picnic, if desired.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH DRIED FRUIT AND OLIVE TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme evenly over chicken.
• Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; cover and keep warm.
• Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan.
• Add onion to pan; saute 2 minutes until tender.
• Add garlic to pan; saute 30 seconds.
• Add remaining ingredients to pan (fruit, wine, broth, olives, salt, and pepper); cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.
• When there was still some liquid left in the pan, I threw the chicken back in to warm through and soak some of the flavor.