Chicken With Dates And Wine Food

CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS, DATES AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• If preferred, trim the fat and skin from the chicken. Rinse, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid (to be used later) over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken and bay leaves and cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes on each side. Add a 1/2 cup water, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 35-40 minutes.
• Pour off pan juices and reserve. Pile chicken on one side of the pan, raise the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook until the soften, about 2 minutes.
• Add wine and vinegar, and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add dates and apricots, then redistribute the chicken in the pot.
• Add the reserved liquid and simmer until chicken is heated through and tender, about 12-15 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve immediately.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND DATE TAGINE

Steps:

• Cut the dates in half, discard the stone and then chop into six pieces.
• Slice the chicken into short strips.
• Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and stir in the onion.
• Cook until slippery and soft, then add in the pine kernels and lemon zest, salt and pepper.
• Turn down the heat and cook for about five minutes, before adding in the chicken.
• Cook until the meat is lightly browned.
• Squeeze the juice from half the lemon over the top, stir in the harissa, stock and dates.
• Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water is reduced by half.
• You should end up with a thick, rusty coloured sauce.
• Meanwhile, prepare the couscous by placing it in a bowl and adding 300ml boiling water, remaining olive oil and salt.
• Cover and leave for 15 minutes, then use a fork to loosen the grains and mix in the butter.
• Serve the chicken mixture over the couscous, garnished with some chopped coriander and a lemon wedge.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS AND DATES

Steps:

• Set the chicken out at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Position a rack in the top third of your oven.
• Place your largest cast-iron skillet in the oven for 15 minutes. Pat the chicken breasts dry and generously season them on all sides with salt and pepper. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and place it on the stovetop. Add the grapeseed oil to the skillet and heat it over medium-high heat until the oil has a subtle ripple effect. You want the oil to be very hot. Working in two batches, cook the chicken, skin-side down, until the skin is crispy and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it onto a plate as you build your sauce. Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet and add the shallots. Cook the shallots undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are caramelized and golden. Add the garlic, a few thyme sprigs, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the shallots and continue to cook until they begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce it by half. Add a few more thyme sprigs and the stock. Simmer the sauce over medium to low heat for 15 minutes, until reduced slightly. Check for seasoning and add the dates and olives to the sauce.
• Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, skin-side up, and place it in the oven. Roast the chicken until it's just cooked through, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast should register 160°F (70°C).
• Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate; set them aside and keep warm. Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium to low heat and add the vinegar to the sauce. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the lemon juice. Check and adjust the seasoning. Return the chicken to the skillet and serve it immediately, garnished with the remaining thyme and the lemon zest.

SPICED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH DATES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, the paprika and brown sugar. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, reduce the heat to medium and cook until browned, 6 minutes. Flip the chicken; transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until cooked through, 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
• Pour off the juices from the skillet; reserve. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and set over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, undisturbed, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss; cook until tender, 2 more minutes. Add the dates and vinegar; cook until the vinegar is reduced, 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the reserved skillet juices and any juices from the plate of chicken.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles in the boiling water as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the noodles and return to the pan. Add the butter and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss until coated, adding more cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper and stir in 3 tablespoons parsley.
• Slice the chicken and top with the sauce. Serve with the noodles; sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

CHICKEN WITH DATES

Steps:

• Season the chicken parts with salt and a generous amount of pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the chicken in batches, and brown on all sides over high heat.
• Remove the chicken and set aside.
• Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and stock and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and return the chicken to the skillet.
• Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
• Skim the fat from the surface.
• Add the dates, lemon juice and saffron and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Serve the chicken with some of the sauce and dates.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH DATES, CITRUS, AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large roasting pan, season chicken with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Squeeze lemon and orange over chicken, then add fruit to pan. Add wine, orange juice, half of dates, and thyme. Roast 25 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven; rotate chicken pieces if browning unevenly. Add olives and remaining dates. Roast until a thermometer inserted in chicken breast (avoiding bone) registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes more. Transfer chicken and citrus to a platter.
• Place roasting pan over high heat, mashing some of dates with the back of a wooden spoon, until sauce is reduced and thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour over chicken; serve.