Moroccan Chicken With Figs And Couscous Food

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH FIGS AND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place the chicken thighs into a big bowl.
• Add the spices(brown sugar, coriander, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper and flour)
• Coat the chicken with the spices and set aside.
• Put the olive oil into a large skillet and set over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and brown it on each side.
• Remove it from the skillet and add the chopped onion and chopped figs to the skillet. Saute for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth, flour and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add back the chicken to the skillet and let it simmer covered on medium low heat for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve over couscous or quinoa.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the red onions and carrots; cook until the onions soften slightly, about 4 minutes. Add the ras el hanout, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir to coat the vegetables. Add 3 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the carrots are tender, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the couscous as the label directs. Puree 1 3/4 cups cilantro, 2 tablespoons water and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a food processor. Fluff the couscous and stir in the cilantro paste. Cover to keep warm.
• Uncover the vegetables and stir in the chicken and raisins. Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the raisins are plump, about 5 minutes. Stir in the honey and the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Serve over the couscous; top with the almonds.

CHICKEN WITH FIGS IN RAS-EL-HANOUT AND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Arrange chicken on rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle each side of each piece with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer chicken to skillet and sear until golden, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to heavy roasting pan, skin side up. Add carrots, shallots, garlic, 1 teaspoon thyme, lemon peel, ras-el-hanout, chicken broth, white wine, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Bring to boil, whisking up brown bits. Pour mixture over chicken in roasting pan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cover with foil; place in oven. Braise 1 hour, until tender.
• Transfer chicken, carrots, and shallots to baking sheet; discard garlic. Pour pan juices into large saucepan. Spoon off fat from surface. Boil juices until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, whisking occasionally, about 18 minutes. Add figs and vinegar; cook until figs are just heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place cooked couscous on large plate. Top with chicken, vegetables, and figs. Spoon sauce over chicken and figs. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately.

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 CHICKEN COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Make the seasoning rub. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, and spices. Whisk to combine.
• Pat the chicken dry and season with kosher salt and black pepper on both side. Pour about 3/4 of the rub you just made all over the chicken (reserve the rest for later) and toss to make sure all the pieces are well coated. Set aside for now.
• Put the vegetables and onions in a mixing bowl. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and pour the remaining seasoning rub. Toss to combine.
• Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large baking pan or rimmed sheet pan.
• Bake in the center of the heated-oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the juices run clear. The vegetables should also soften and gain some char.
• While the chicken and veggies are baking, prepare the couscous. Boil the water or both until bubbling. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the couscous and cook, tossing regularly, until the couscous is toasted to golden brown. Season with kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Add the boiled water. Immediately turn the heat off and cover the saucepan. Leave the couscous undisturbed for 10 minutes, the couscous should absorb all the liquid. When ready, add the fresh parsley and fluff the couscous with a fork.
• When the chicken is fully cooked through, remove it from the oven. Spoon the couscous between the chicken pieces and allow it about 5 minutes to sop up some of the pan juices. Finish with the raisins, if you like.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Toss first 3 ingredients with 1 tsp. dressing. Place on one half of foil-covered rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Place chicken on other half of prepared baking sheet; brush with remaining dressing. Bake 40 min. or until chicken is done (165°F), adding nuts, apricots and raisins to the baking sheet for the last 5 min. Remove from oven.
• Heat oil in saucepan on medium heat. Add onions along with the anise and cinnamon sticks from baking sheet; cook and stir 3 to 5 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Stir in broth; bring to boil. Remove and discard anise and cinnamon sticks. Add couscous to onions in pan; mix well. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 5 min.
• Fluff couscous mixture. Add garlic, nuts and fruit from baking sheet; mix lightly. Serve with the chicken.

MOROCCAN SEASONED CHICKEN WITH PINE NUT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin and cinnamon; add chicken and toss.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and cook chicken until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add onion, garlic and lemon slices; season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes.
• Add 1 cup chicken stock, olives, and lemon juice; scrape brown bits from bottom of pan, remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the remaining chicken stock and butter in a medium saucepan until boiling; stir in couscous, cover, and turn off the heat; let stand 5 minutes.
• Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in pine nuts.
• Serve the chicken and sauce over the couscous and sprinkle with parsley.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Fry chicken portions skin side down in butter and oil until golden.
• Turn.
• Add onions, garlic, spices, salt, orange juice and 300ml of water.
• Cover and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Mix couscous with salt and 350ml of water.
• Leave to soak for 5 minutes.
• Add rest of ingredients for couscous.
• Line a steamer with greaseproof paper and spoon the cous cous inches.
• Place over chicken and steam for 10 minutes.
• Remove steamer, stir honey into chicken liquid and boil rapidly for 3-4 minutes. (At this point I stirred in 1 tsp of cornflour mixed with a little water to thicken the sauce).
• Serve chicken on top of couscous and pour over a little of the sauce.

CHICKEN WITH FIGS IN RAS-EL-HANOUT AND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Arrange chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle each side of each leg with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.
• Place chicken in skillet and sear until golden (5-10 minutes per side) and then transfer chicken to roasting pan, skin side up. Add vegetables (carrots -cloves), 1 teaspoon thkyme, lemon peel, ras-el-hanout, chicken both, wine and remaining oil (3 tablespoons) to skillet and bring to a boil. Pour mixture over the chicken and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover with foil; place in oven and braise for 1 hour or until tender.
• Transfer chicken and vegetables to baking sheet; discard garlic. Pour pan juices into a saucepan; spoon off fat from the surface. Boil juices until reduces to 1 3/4 cups; whisking occasionally (15 -20 minutes). Add figs and vinegar; cook until figs are heated (3- 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
• Place cooked couscous on a large plate; top with chicken, vegetables and figs. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.