Chicken And Couscous With A Punchy Relish Recipes

SKILLET CHICKEN AND PEARL COUSCOUS WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, lime juice, olive oil, garlic and cumin. Season well with salt and pepper and stir together until the chicken is well coated in the marinade; set aside at room temperature for 25 to 30 minutes.
• In a deep, 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the grapeseed or canola oil over medium-high. When it shimmers, lift the chicken out of the marinade, allowing any excess liquid to drip back into the bowl, then add the chicken to the skillet, skin-side down. Working in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan, cook until the chicken is well browned on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium, add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the harissa paste, turmeric and cinnamon, and cook until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season well with salt.
• Add the couscous to the pan and stir until well coated in the spiced leek oil. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and add the chicken back to the pan, skin-side up, along with any accumulated juices. Cover and simmer until the couscous is al dente and the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. If you're lucky, some of the couscous may slightly stick to the bottom of the pan, creating well-seasoned crispy bites.
• Remove from the heat and remove the lid. Scatter with the herbs, if using, and the lime zest, then serve from the pan.

CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of the chicken broth to a boil. Stir in couscous and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, season with pepper, and cook until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove chicken from the skillet, and set aside.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the jalapeno peppers and carrot, and saute about 2 minutes. Mix in the zucchini, green onions, ginger, and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Continue to cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, blend the remaining 1 cup chicken broth with curry powder, coriander, and cornstarch. Pour over the vegetables. Return chicken to the skillet. Continue cooking about 2 minutes until chicken is coated and the broth mixture begins to thicken. Serve over the couscous.

QUICK CHICKEN COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place couscous in a heat-proof mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and olive oil; stir with a spoon until all couscous is coated with oil. Level off to smooth the top and set aside.
• Season chicken on both sides with salt.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add chicken and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on one side. Flip and add onions. Sear chicken on second side, while sauteing onions at the same time, for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove chicken to a plate and let cool for a few minutes. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch cubes and return to the saucepan.
• Add chicken broth, zucchini, green beans, bell pepper, green onions, paprika, and turmeric to the saucepan. Place over high heat. As soon as it boils, remove from the heat and carefully dump it on top of the couscous; do not stir. Immediately wrap bowl tightly with foil and set a timer for 5 minutes.
• When timer goes off, unwrap foil and toss in parsley. Stir to combine ingredients. Taste and adjust for salt.
• Spoon couscous onto serving plate and garnish with feta cheese, chili flakes, and parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

CHICKEN AND COUSCOUS WITH A PUNCHY RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400°F with a baking pan on the lower middle rack.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Rub the butter all over the chicken, making sure to give the back a good coating. Season generously with salt and pepper, inside and out. Position the wing tips behind the back and tie the legs together. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the preheated pan. Roast for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the juice from 1/2 lemon into the stock in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until steaming, then pop in the garlic. Pull from the heat and keep in a warm spot. (I leave it on top of the hot stove, but with the burner off.) After 30 minutes are up for the chicken, pour 1 cup of the liquid into the baking pan, holding back the garlic, and roast for 30 minutes more.
• Cut the juiced lemon half into wedges; keep the other half for the relish.
• Pull the baking pan from the oven. Sprinkle the couscous around the chicken. Pour the remaining liquid onto the couscous and tuck in the lemon wedges and soaked garlic. Return the baking pan to the oven and continue to roast until both the chicken and the couscous are cooked through, around 30 minutes. If the liquid is absorbed before the couscous is cooked, add more liquid, a half cup at a time, as needed.
• Let the baking pan stand for 10 minutes while you make the relish. Squeeze the (now) roasted garlic into a small skillet. Add the oil and set the pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the anchovies and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring and breaking up the anchovies and garlic, until they've turned into a grungy paste, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the capers to the pan, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the juice from the second half of the lemon, along with the raisins and half of the parsley. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then check for seasoning. Remove the chicken to a board and carve as you'd like. Fluff the couscous with a fork, then arrange the cut chicken on top. Scatter the rest of the parsley over the whole baking pan of chicken and couscous, and serve with the relish.