Moroccan Chicken With Vegetables And Dried Apricots Food

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES AND DRIED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Make the spice mix: In a small bowl, stir the spices together.
• Prepare the chicken: Cut it into 1-inch (3 cm) cubes. Rub with the ½ of the spice mix, oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside (if you have time, you can leave the chicken to marinate for a few hours or overnight in the fridge).
• Prepare the vegetables: dice the onion, cut the garlic into thin slices, carrot into thin, about 1/16-inch (1-2 mm) slices, bell peppers into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) stripes, zucchini into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) half-slices, apricots into small pieces (approx. ½-¼-inch / 0.5-1 cm pieces).
• Cook the onions and garlic: heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a big frying pan. Add the onions and a small pinch od salt. Cook the onions over medium-low heat until soft, stirring from time to time. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the onions and garlic to a plate.
• Cook the chicken: Set the heat to the highest setting. Add another tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken pieces, cook on one side until browned, then turn over and cook until almost cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a plate (don't mix the chicken with onions though), it doesn't have to be cook through completely, it will be later briefly stewed with the vegetables.
• Cook the vegetables: add all the chopped vegetables in an even layer to the pan, sprinkle with the remaining spice mix. Don't stir for the first few minutes!! Wait until the vegetables at the bottom are nicely browned, then stir everything thoroughly.
• Add the onions with garlic back to the pan, add the chopped apricots and broth.
• Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Vegetables should be tender but still have a bite to it.
• Add the chicken back to the pan and simmer for 1-2 more minutes (the chicken should be now cooked through). Take the pan off the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, stir everything together.
• Make the couscous: season a cup of couscous with salt and pepper, pour a cup of boiling water / broth over, stir and leave for 5 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley.
• Serve the chicken with vegetables and couscous.
• Enjoy!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and salt and pepper.
• In a heavy skillet heat oil and saute chicken in oil until brown and cooked through.
• Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm while you make the sauce.
• Add onions and garlic to the skillet and saute.
• Add flour, cinnamon, cumin, and ginger to skillet and mix well.
• Whisk in chicken broth.
• Stir in apricots, lemon juice and honey.
• Boil sauce for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon; while the sauce is boiling occasionally stir to prevent burning it.
• Coat the chicken with the sauce by either mixing the chicken back into the skillet or mixing both chicken and sauce into a serving dish.
• Sprinkle with toasted almonds.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND APRICOT TAGINE

Steps:

• Gather the chicken ingredients.
• Combine the spices in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken.
• Add the chicken and toss to evenly coat the pieces with the spices.
• Gather the remaining tagine ingredients.
• Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in the base of a large tagine or Dutch oven.
• Add the olive oil, onions, garlic, and cinnamon stick .
• Add the seasoned chicken, meat-side down, in a single layer on top of the onions.
• Place the cilantro bouquet on top. Add the broth to the tagine.
• In the bowl used to season the chicken, swirl the water to cleanse it of the spices.
• Add the water to the tagine.
• Cover and leave the liquids to reach a simmer over medium-low heat.
• Once simmering , cook the chicken, undisturbed, for 1 hour.
• Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking liquids and set aside.
• Carefully turn over the chicken pieces so that they are meat-side up.
• Cover the pan and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the chicken is done and the liquids are thick and reduced.
• While the chicken is cooking, put the apricots in a small pot and cover with water.
• Simmer the apricots over medium heat, partially covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender enough to pinch in half with your fingers.
• Drain the apricots and return to the pot.
• Add the sugar (or honey), ground cinnamon, and the 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid.
• Simmer the apricots gently for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are sitting in a thick syrup.
• Discard the cilantro bouquet and cinnamon stick from the tagine.
• Arrange the chicken on a large serving platter (or simply leave in the base of the tagine). Spoon the apricots and syrup on and around the chicken. If desired, garnish with fried almonds or sesame seeds.

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.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SQUASH, YAMS, AND DRIED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Mix cumin and thyme in small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with spice mixture, then salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Push onion mixture to side of skillet. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to skillet. Working in batches, add chicken and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to bowl after each batch. Return chicken to skillet. Scatter onion mixture, squash, yams, and apricots over chicken. Pour tomatoes with juices over; bring to boil. Stir in cardamom and cloves. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until chicken and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer until juices are slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

MOROCCAN ROAST CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chickens - see tip, below, or ask your butcher to do it for you. Put the olive oil, coriander, sumac, cumin, fennel, chilli, garlic, lemon zest and juice, pomegranate molasses and some ground black pepper into a food processor or blender, and whizz to a paste. Divide between 2 large food bags, add a chicken to each, then squeeze out the air and seal before giving everything a good squelch to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 24-48 hrs in the fridge, turning and squishing every so often.
• Fire up a barbecue and let the flames die down, or heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Lift the chicken out of the bags and season well with salt. Barbecue or roast the chicken for 25-30 mins on each side until crisp and cooked through. Set aside on a platter, loosely cover with foil, to rest while you do the apricots. If you roasted rather than barbecued, keep the tin juices warm for serving.
• Put the apricots in a small, snug roasting tin. Whisk the preserved lemon, honey, orange blossom and vinegar with some seasoning. Pour over the apricots and roast, or sit on the barbecue, for 20 mins until soft.
• Serve the chicken with any cooking juices, the apricots and saffron yogurt.

EASY CROCK POT MOROCCAN CHICKEN, CHICKPEA AND APRICOT TAGINE

Steps:

• PLEASE NOTE: This recipe lists canned chickpeas in the ingredients, NOT dried! If you use dried chickpeas, you MUST soak them and cook them first!
• Heat up olive oil in a frying pan/skillet & saute chopped onions & garlic for 5-10 minutes.
• Add chicken stock & gradually mix in flour or cornflour until well mixed & not lumpy.Add honey & tomato paste & mix well.
• Add herbs,spices & finely chopped ginger with salt & pepper to taste.
• Finally add tinned tomatoes & mix well.
• Pour the above tomato,onion & spice mix into slow cooker or tagine.
• Add chicken & chickpeas & mix well.
• Add dried apricots making sure they are covered by juice. (Add the carrots if using.).
• Give it a gentle but good stir to mix everything together well.
• Crock Pot or Slow Cooker - Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours OR automatic with keep warm facility for up to 8 hours. (Please note that the cooking times depend on your crockpot, the cooking times I have suggested work fine with mine which is a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker.).
• If cooking in a Traditional Tagine, do as above & cook SLOWLY over gas or barbeque for about 2-3 hours.
• Electric Tagine cooking - same as the slowcooker. If you need to thicken it up towards the end of the cooking time, add cornflour which has been mixed with a little water & add to the tagine - mix well.
• Serve with freshly chopped Coriander/Cilantro sprinked on top & either with couscous, rice, fresh flat bread, pitta bread or salads. It is also good (if not traditional) served with fluffy pureed or mashed potatoes & pasta.
• Note: You can use chicken pieces or whole chicken which has been cut up into portions, but you will then need to brown them in a frying pan or skillet beforehand. Preserved lemons make a great addition, add them when you add the apricots and carrots.

SLOW-COOKER MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. When cool enough to handle, remove the browned skin from the thighs and discard. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Return the pan with the fat to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining half of the chicken.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. (Add additional oil to equal 1 tablespoon if needed.) Add the onions, paprika, cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onions are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the broth, the apricots, and cinnamon stick, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer. Pour into the slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Quickly stir in the chickpeas, replace the cover, and continue to cook until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour longer.
• Transfer the chicken to a large serving dish and tent loosely with foil. Discard the cinnamon stick. Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup broth and flour together until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker. Cover and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer.
• Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the vegetables and some of the sauce over the chicken and serve with lemon wedges, passing the remaining sauce separately.