Exotic Pomegranate Chicken Food

POMEGRANATE SKILLET CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400.
• Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, season with salt and let sit while you make the marinade (up to 30 min is ideal).
• Whisk together olive oil, pomegranate molasses, pomegranate juice, honey, balsamic, lemon and garlic. Pour marinade over chicken, either in a bowl, glass Tupperware, or resealable plastic bag. Spread the marinade around so all the chicken is evenly coated and let sit at least 30min and up to over night in the fridge.
• To cook, place chicken skin side up in a roasting dish, then pour the marinade over the meat. The marinade should generously cover the bottom of the pan.
• Cook until the chicken is tender at the bone and a meat or instant read thermometer reaches 165 when inserted inserted in the thickest part (about 25 minutes for breasts and 45 for thighs. If using both light and dark meat, remove the breasts while the thighs keep cooking then return the breasts to the pan in the oven once the thighs are done.
• Crank the oven to 450 and let the sauce reduce and the skin get dark brown and crispy, about 12 min longer. Brush the chicken with the marinade from the pan every 3-4 minutes to glaze them.
• Serve warm and garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.
• Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

POMEGRANATE AND FENNEL CHICKEN (POLLASTRE AMB MAGRANA)

Steps:

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lay flat on a large plate. Transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably a few hours, to dry the skin a little.
• Meanwhile, heat 11/2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until starting to soften, then stir through the minced garlic and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes, then add half the pomegranate arils, the molasses, sherry and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture has thickened and reduced by one-third. Remove and discard the bay leaf, then remove the pan from the heat and blitz the mixture with a hand-held blender until smooth. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve to remove the aril pulp and set aside in a bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) convection.
• Place the red onion, garlic bulb, thyme and fennel in a large baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the remaining pomegranate arils, drizzle over 11/2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the butterflied chicken on top of the vegetables and rub with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle over the fennel seeds, season with salt and pepper, then transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until the skin starts to turn golden. Remove the dish from the oven and baste the top of the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate sauce. Add 250 ml (81/2 fl oz/1 cup) of water to the dish, then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and roast the chicken for a further 45 minutes.
• Increase the temperature back to 220°C (430°F) and baste the chicken with 2 more tablespoons of sauce and add another 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) of water to the dish. Bake for a final 6-8 minutes, until the chicken skin is dark and dry.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dress the chopped walnuts with a little olive oil and salt.
• Transfer the roast chicken and caramelized fennel and onion to a serving platter and scatter over the the remaining pomegranate arils and the dressed walnuts. Serve with the remaining pomegranate sauce, the fennel fronds and a few salad leaves on the side.

EXOTIC CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Lay the red pepper strips in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch oven proof dish and deposit the breasts on top.
• In a bowl mix orange juice, lemon juice, paprika, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; lay mixture over chicken.
• Put dish in preheated oven at 350°F for 45-55 minutes; baste it from time to time.
• Take out the chicken.
• Drain it well; keep aside in a warm dish.
• Mix corn starch and water, on stove top. Bring to a boil the juice; pour in the cornstarch little by little until you get the desire thickness (about like half and half or thicker).
• Dress the plate with 1 breast and a few pepper strips.
• Cover with sauce and orange zest on top.
• This can be served with some rice on the side.

POMEGRANATE CHICKEN WITH ALMOND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Boil the kettle and heat the oil in a large frying pan. Put the couscous in a bowl with some seasoning and crumble in half the stock cube. Add the onion to the pan and fry for a few mins to soften. Pour boiling water over the couscous to just cover, then cover the bowl with a tea towel and set aside.
• Push the onion to one side of the pan, add the chicken fillets and brown on all sides. Stir in the tagine paste or harissa and the pomegranate juice, then crumble in the rest of the stock cube and season well. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Stir through the pomegranate seeds, saving a few to scatter over before serving.
• After 5 mins, fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir through the almonds and mint. Serve the chicken on the couscous with the sauce spooned over.

EXOTIC CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rub paprika over chicken pieces. Place garlic and green onions in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• Place chicken pieces on top of onions and garlic. Place potatoes on top of the chicken pieces.
• Heat Sauce ingredients in a saucepan until it just starts to boil. Pour sauce over potatoes and chicken.
• Cover and bake at 375* for 1 hour and 15 mins or until potatoes are tender. Uncover and add peas. Recover and bake 15 more minutes.