Moroccan Roasted Pomegranate Chicken Food

MOROCCAN ROASTED POMEGRANATE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove and discard giblets, and neck from chicken, and lift wing tips up over back and tuck under chicken.
• Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon salt over chicken, and place chicken, breast side up on rack of roasting pan coated with cooking spray.
• Place rack in pan, and bake 450 degrees for 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thighs reaches 165 degrees.
• Remove chicken, and rack from pan and let stand 10 minutes.
• Remove skin from dark meat, and discard.
• Remove seeds from pomegrante, set 1 tablespoon seeds aside.
• Place remaining seeds in a blender, pulse to crush.
• Strain mixture through a sieveover a bowl, to yield 1/4 cup juice, discard solids.
• Place roastin pan over medium heat, add wine to drippings in pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
• Pour mixture into medium saucepan, stir in pomegranate juice, sugar, cinnamon, pepper, and garlic, and bring to a boil.
• Cook 16 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup.
• Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice, and remaining salt.
• Serve sdauce with chicken, and sprinkle with remaining seeds.

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.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE POCKETS

Steps:

• Place chicken in a greased 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker. Combine the salsa, 6 tablespoons pomegranate juice, 1/3 cup dates, honey, Moroccan seasoning and garlic powder; pour over chicken. Cook, covered, on low, until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours., Meanwhile, combine the carrots, mayonnaise, pomegranate seeds and remaining dates. Refrigerate, covered, until serving., Remove chicken from slow cooker; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices. Shred chicken with 2 forks. Return chicken and juices to slow cooker. Stir in remaining pomegranate juice; heat through. Serve in pitas with carrot slaw and, if desired, cilantro.

MOROCCAN ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray the foil with cooking spray.
• 2. Mix together the honey, olive oil, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and garlic in a small bowl. Place the chicken, onions, and potatoes in a large bowl. Toss with three-quarters of the honey mixture and arrange in a single layer on the prepared pan. Toss the apricots and raisins with the remaining honey mixture and set aside.
• 3. Bake the chicken, onions, and potatoes for 35 minutes. Add the apricots and raisins and bake until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Garnish with the pistachios and cilantro.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH LEMONS, OLIVES & POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide, shallow casserole dish or ovenproof pan. Season the chicken and cook, skin-side down, for 8-10 mins, until crispy. Flip over and cook for another 5 mins. Transfer to a plate. Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.
• Add the rest of the oil and the onion to the pan. Stir for a few mins, then add the garlic and Moroccan spice mix. Stir, scraping any bits of onions and chicken from the bottom, until the spices smell fragrant. Add the preserved lemon, tomatoes, stock cube, honey, vinegar and 750ml water. Bring to the boil, then place the chicken on top. Cover with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven for 1 hr.
• Uncover, place the olives and lemon slices on top and drizzle the lemons with a little oil. Return to the oven for 20 mins, or until the sauce has reduced a little (you can do this on the hob if you're short on time). Check the seasoning, adding a squeeze of lemon, more honey or salt if you think it needs it. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds, feta and mint, and serve with couscous.

FESENJAN (PERSIAN POMEGRANATE CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Toast and grind the walnuts: You can toast the walnuts in one of two ways. You can either spread them out in a single layer in a large skillet, and toast them on medium high heat, stirring frequently until lightly toasted, OR you can spread them out in a single layer in a baking rimmed baking sheet, and toast at 350°F in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. In either case, once toasted, remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, pulse in a food processor or blender until finely ground.
• Brown the chicken pieces on all sides: In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, pat the chicken pieces dry again and place the chicken pieces in the pan, working in batches if necessary to not crowd the pan, and cook until golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle the chicken with salt while they are cooking.
• Sauté the onions: Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the chicken from the pan, set aside. Add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil to the pan. Lower the heat to medium low. Add chopped onions to the pan and sauté until translucent, stirring on occasion to release the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add chicken and stock: Return the chicken pieces to the pan with the onions. Pour 2 cups of chicken stock over the chicken and onions. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Add ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, sugar, spices, cover and cook: Stir in the ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, sugar, and spices. Cover and cook on very low heat for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so to prevent the walnuts from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and adjust sugar/salt to taste. At this point the chicken should be fall apart tender.
• Serve: Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve over parsi pulao or other favorite rice. Links: Slow cooker pomegranate chicken salad from Lydia of The Perfect Pantry

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.

MOROCCAN-STYLE POMEGRANATE & ROAST VEG SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, line a large baking tray with baking parchment. In a large bowl, toss together all the veg with the ras el hanout, olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the baking tray. roast, turning once, for 40 mins until tender and starting to char.
• Once cooked, allow to cool for 10 mins then toss with the spinach leaves, pomegranate seeds, feta and vinegar.

ROASTED POMEGRANATE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F In a cup, mix oil and garlic. Brush garlic oil over chicken.
• Place chicken in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle any remaining oil over chicken. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, basting several times with pan juices, until skin is browned and juices run clear when a thigh is pierced at thickest part with a fork.
• Remove 1 tablespoon seeds from pomegranate. Set aside for garnish. Squeeze juice form remaining pomegranate through a sieve into a small bowl.
• In a small nonreactive saucepan, mix pomegranate juice, wine, lemon juice, and cinnamon sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer roasted chicken to a serving platter and pierce each piece several times. Pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve at room temperature.

MOROCCAN ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425° and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. In a bowl, mix the butter with the cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, cayenne and cinnamon and season with salt and pepper. Pat the chicken dry. Rub half of the spice butter under the skin and the rest over the chicken; season with salt and pepper.
• Set the chicken breast-side-up on a rack in a roasting pan. Scatter the onion, garlic cloves, dates and dried apricots and add 1/2 cup of water. Roast for 30 minutes, until the breast is firm and just beginning to brown in spots. Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-down and roast for 20 minutes longer, until the skin is lightly browned.
• Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-side-up. Add another 1/2 cup of water. Roast for about 20 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 175° to 180°.
• Tilt the chicken to drain the cavity juices into the pan; transfer the bird to a cutting board. Remove the rack from the pan and spoon off the fat. Set the pan over high heat. Add the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits. Carve the chicken and pass the chunky jus at the table.