North African Chicken Stew Boston Globe 192013 Food

SPICY AFRICAN CHICKEN STEW

Steps:

• Pour the hot stock over the peanut butter and stir until dissolved. Heat a very large pan and fry the onions in the oil for 5 mins to soften. Add the ginger, cayenne, if using, ½ tsp black pepper, coriander, cumin, chillies and bay and cook, stirring, for 2 mins.
• Tip in the tomatoes and the peanut stock, then stir in the chicken pieces. Put a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for 30 mins, stirring frequently to make sure the peanut butter doesn't stick to the base of the pan.
• Stir in the sweet potatoes, peppers and chopped coriander, then cook for 30 mins more. Serve sprinkled with the reserved coriander, with rice and lime wedges for squeezing over, if you like.

NORTH AFRICAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Cut each chicken breast in half, then season all the chicken. Heat the oil in a mediumsize ovenproof casserole dish. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and brown well all over - you can do it in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Lower heat slightly, add the shallots to the pan and cook until golden brown all over. Add the garlic and grated ginger and cook for 30 secs before adding all the spices and cooking for 1 min more.
• Throw the butternut squash into the pan and stir to coat in the spices. Arrange the chicken, skin side uppermost, on top of the shallots and squash. Pour over the stock and drizzle in the honey. Bring to a gentle simmer, then transfer to the oven to bake for 40 mins until tender. Scatter with the coriander and serve with couscous and a bowl of harissa, if you like.

NORTH AFRICAN CHICKEN AND SPINACH STEW

Steps:

• PLACE the chicken in a large pot and cover it with water. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and bay leaves and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• REMOVE the chicken to a deep dish or bowl and let it drain. Strain the stock into a large bowl or pan and set aside. Transfer the vegetables from the strainer to a blender (remove the bay leaves), add the garlic, and puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
• TO make the spinach stew, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. When it's bubbling slightly, add the vegetable puree. Warm it through, about 2 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and the cinnamon stick, then add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved stock and bring to a simmer. Cook to let the flavors develop, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat and keep warm (remove the cinnamon stick before serving).
• MEANWHILE, when the chicken is cool enough to handle, pat it completely dry and break it down into 8 pieces: 2 thighs, 2 wings, and 2 breasts, then split the breasts in half. Place the chicken pieces in a large dish. Combine the granulated onion, granulated garlic, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Completely coat the chicken in this dry rub.
• MELT the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear until charred in spots, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• SERVE the chicken with rice and a generous ladle of spinach stew. Squeeze lemon over the plate if desired.

NORTH AFRICAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine Seasoning Mix, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil and garlic, mixing well.
• Marinate the the chicken for two hours, refrigerated.
• Grill chicken 20 minutes or until juices run clear, basting with marinade.

AFRICAN CHICKEN STEW

Steps:

• Tunisian Pesto:.
• Combine the cilantro, parsley, almonds and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add about 1/3 cup of the oil and process until completely mixed in and smooth. Add the salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper (if using). *If using immediately, add the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. If freezing, transfer the pesto to an airtight container and pour the remaining oil on top. You can freeze this for 3 months.
• Stew:.
• Bring the 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to boil in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in the couscous, 1 t. of the salt, and pepper to taste. Cover, take off the heat and set aside while you make the stew.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large dutch oven (or big soup pot) over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the remaining salt, cumin, paprika and pepper to taste. Add the chicken to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over - about 5 minutes.
• Add the carrots, onion, the 1 2/3 Cups chicken broth, vinegar and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a brisk simmer, cover and cook just until the chicken is firm to the touch and the carrots are tender - about 8 minutes or so.
• Stir the pesto into the stew. Fluff the couscous with a fork and mound it in 4 soup bowls. Spoon some chicken stew over each portion and serve!

NORTH AFRICAN CHICKEN STEW (BOSTON GLOBE 1/9/2013)

Steps:

• 1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. 2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. 3. In a large flameproof casserole over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Brown the chicken for 5 minutes on a side or until golden. Continue browning chicken, using more oil if necessary, until it is all golden. Transfer to a plate. 4. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, ginger, paprika, and turmeric. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock, tomatoes, and orange rind and juice. Return the chicken to the pan. Bring to a boil. 5. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Reserve 4 chicken thighs for the soup. Transfer the remaining chicken to a platter. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve over couscous or rice.