Moroccan Saffron Chicken Food

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON AND PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, turmeric, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper together in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag or container. Add chicken, coat with the paste and seal bag or container. Marinate in the refrigerator, 4 hours to overnight.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Add chicken thighs skin-side down to stockpot and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken thighs and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes more.
• Lower heat to medium and add water to cover chicken halfway, cover stockpot, and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover stockpot, sprinkle saffron threads onto chicken, and top with preserved lemon slices. Replace cover and cook until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and juices run clear, about 5 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Uncover stockpot and transfer chicken to a serving platter.
• Continue simmering liquid in stockpot until thickened to sauce consistency, 5 to 7 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken; top with olives, artichokes, and parsley.

SAFOI'S MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine the saffron, ginger, salt, pepper, olive oil, and canola oil in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Clean and thoroughly wash the chicken, then cut it into 8 pieces.
• Add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, massaging the marinade into the chicken.
• Cut the carrots in half and remove their yellow cores.
• Open the tagine and lay the onion on the bottom. Arrange the carrots over the onion.
• Lay the chicken with all of the marinade over the vegetables. Add 1 cup (240 ml) water and cover.
• Cook on very low heat for 1 hour. Check at the 30-minute mark to ensure the bottom is not dry. Add another 1/2 cup (120 ml) water if necessary.
• In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the olives and the preserved lemon.
• Garnish with parsley to serve.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and brown in a large saucepan over medium heat until almost cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
• Saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery in same pan. When tender, stir in ginger, paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and turmeric; stir fry for about 1 minute, then mix in broth and tomatoes. Return chicken to pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add chickpeas and zucchini to pan and bring to simmering once again; cover pan and cook for about 15 minutes, or until zucchini is cooked through and tender. Stir in lemon juice and serve.

MOROCCAN SAFFRON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
• Cover, and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is very tender and pulls easily off the bone.
• Do not add water, and be careful not to burn the chicken.
• Reduce the liquids until they are mostly oils.
• Discard the cinnamon sticks, and taste for seasoning. (The sauce should be a bit salty and peppery.).

MOROCCAN SAFFRON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Enjoy!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN ON SAFFRON RICE (WW)

Steps:

• In medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil; stir in rice and saffron.
• Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 20 minutes, until all water is absorbed and rice is tender.
• Remove from heat; keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat oil; add chicken.
• Cook over medium-high heat, turning once, 8 minutes, until browned on all sides and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with fork.
• Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.
• In same skillet, combine leeks, apricots, cumin, cinnamon and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes, until leeks are softened.
• Add tomatoes and broth; bring liquid to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, 3 minutes, until mixture is heated through.
• Return chicken to skillet; stir in orange sections.
• Cook, turning chicken occasionally, 3 minutes, until chicken is heated through.
• Spoon warm rice mixture onto serving platter.
• Top rice mixture with cooked chicken breasts; surround chicken with vegetable mixture.
• SERVING (1 CHICKEN BREAST, 3/4 CUP RICE, 3/4 CUP VEGETABLE MIXTURE) PROVIDES: 1/2 Fat, 1 Fruit, 2 Vegetables, 3 Proteins, 1 1/2 Breads, 5 Optional Calories.
• PER SERVING: 406 Calories, 5 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 66 mg Cholesterol, 125 mg Sodium, 58 g Total Carbohydrate, 4 g Dietary Fiber, 32 g Protein, 93 mg Calcium; 8 points.

MOROCCAN ROAST CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON, HAZELNUTS, AND HONEY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the chicken pieces with the onions, olive oil, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, lemon juice, water, salt, and pepper. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• Transfer the chicken and marinade to a baking sheet large enough to accommodate everything comfortably. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up and put the pan in the oven for about 35 minutes.
• While the chicken is roasting, mix the honey, rose water, and nuts together to make a rough paste, the food processor will do this nicely. Remove the chicken from the oven, spoon a generous amount of nut paste onto each piece, and spread it to cover. Return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the nuts are golden brown.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and garnish with the chopped green onions.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH POTATOES AND SPINACH WITH SAFFRON JUS

Steps:

• Finely chop yellow onion in a food processor with ginger and garlic; add all the dry spices and the chopped parsley with salt to the food processor.
• Score the chicken breasts with a sharp knife and apply marinade generously (this can be done the night ahead and allowed to sit in the fridge--it makes the chicken to absorb all the flavours and will make it more juicy when cooked).
• CHICKEN:-.
• In a hot pan or a skillet roast every breast of chicken skin side down to get a golden color and then allow to cook in the oven for about 12-15 minutes.
• SAUCE:-.
• On the side prepare a sauce using the same pan add chopped shallots and deglaze the pan using white wine or lemon juice or just the chicken broth.
• Add the saffron allow to simmer for about 15 minutes and thicken with cornstarch check for seasoning.
• Finish with a 1 tablespoon of frozen butter (keep warm).
• SMASHED POTATOES:-.
• Boil potatoes in a large stock pot with sufficient liquid to cover the cover it completely till completely cooked.
• In a pan heat butter and add ginger, garlic and leeks and sauté till translucent.
• Add the buttermilk and allow to come up to temperature (do not boil as buttermilk will split).
• When potatoes are completely cooked, drain and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Add the buttermilk mixture an spinach leaves and mash with a potato masher.
• Season with salt.
• PLATING-.
• Scoop a portion of potatoes with a ice-cream mould or cookie cutter in the center of the plate.
• Place chicken breast on top.
• Drizzle sauce over the chicken breast and all over the plate.
• Could garnish with a fresh sprig of parsley or cilantro.