Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Curried Couscous Recipes

CHICKEN & VEGETABLE CURRY COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink., Add vegetable blend, water and contents of couscous seasoning packet. Bring to a boil; stir in couscous and raisins. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

ROASTED CURRIED CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Stir together 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika, chili powder, 7 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, 4 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon sage, and ginger in a small bowl. Pour in 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 cup chicken broth, and vegetable oil; stir to form a paste.
• Rub a little of the paste on the inside cavity of the chicken, then massage the remaining paste all over the chicken, placing it under the skin where you can. Truss the chicken if desired, and place onto a roasting pan.
• Roast in preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 90 minutes. If using a meat thermometer, be sure the chicken has reached at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) in the thickest part of the thigh.
• While the chicken is roasting, bring 1 cup chicken broth, water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and butter to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir together the couscous 1 tablespoon curry powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon sage, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and the bay leaf in a large bowl. Stir the couscous into the boiling liquid, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and cover. Keep the couscous warm until the chicken is ready.

COUSCOUS STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST WITH FETA, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND KALAMATA OLIVES

Steps:

• For the couscous: In saucepan over medium heat add olive oil, when hot, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute a few minutes more. Add olives and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the box of couscous, turn off heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, and season with salt and pepper. Spread 2 cups on large plate, add in 1/2 pound feta, and let cool. Keep the remaining hot to serve with chicken. (Put in covered casserole and reheat in oven last 10 minutes with chicken.)
• For the chicken: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim chicken with a boning knife, if needed. Start at top of breast and carefully make a lengthwise cut from top to bottom and making a pocket about 2 inches, making sure not to pierce the other side of the breast. When couscous is cool enough to handle, carefully spoon couscous mixture into pocket. Even out the stuffing by gently moving it around with your hands. Wipe off any excess couscous from outside of breasts and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil and butter in saute pan and brown off both sides of chicken. Place chicken on baking sheet and place in oven for 20 minutes.
• While chicken is baking, make the sauce.
• For the sauce: In saute pan that you cooked chicken breasts in, heat and add garlic. Deglaze with white wine and add lemon juice. Reduce by one third. Add in sun-dried tomatoes, let reduce for 2 to 3 minutes, add the olives, turn off heat, add the butter and stir to combine.
• To serve, place couscous from oven on plate, cut chicken breast in half, top with sauce, crumble remaining feta cheese over.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS & PINE NUT STUFFING

Steps:

• Put couscous in a large heatproof bowl, pour over stock, then cover with cling film for 5 mins until liquid is absorbed. Melt half the butter in a pan, then gently cook onion and garlic for 5-8 mins until soft. Set aside. Dry-fry pine nuts for a few mins until golden. Combine onions, pine nuts, apricots and herbs with couscous. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice, season, then stir in egg. Leave to cool.
• Using the back of a knife, stretch rashers to 1½ times their original length. Lay, slightly overlapping, on a large sheet of foil to form a rectangle. Make a few slashes in the thickest part of each chicken breast and lay between 2 sheets of cling film. Use the base of a heavy pan to bash the chicken until about 1cm thick. Arrange chicken over the bacon, fitting so there are no gaps, but leave a border on longer sides. (This helps to roll up the chicken.)
• Spoon stuffing over chicken in a strip along one of the longest sides. Using tin foil to help, roll bacon and chicken around stuffing like a log. Wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends to secure, then chill for 2 hrs or up to 1 day.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Place chicken, join-side down, in a roasting tray. Cook for 30 mins, then unwrap foil and brush roast with remaining butter. Cook, uncovered, for 20-30 mins more until cooked through, and the stuffing is hot (a metal skewer inserted into the chicken's centre should come out hot). Cool and wrap in fresh foil to transport.

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH HERBED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Add couscous; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and remove from heat; let steam 5 minutes. Add mint, pine nuts, scallions, lemon zest and juice, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper, and fluff with a fork.
• Lay chicken flat on a work surface. With a paring knife, cut a 2-inch-long slit in the thick side of each breast. Insert knife, and pivot inside chicken without enlarging opening, carefully forming a deep pocket (make sure not to pierce the opposite side). Stuff each breast with an equal amount of couscous mixture, packing it tightly.
• In a large skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in skillet, and cook until browned on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully turn chicken over, and add 1/2 cup water to skillet (a little couscous may fall out). Cover, and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes more.

MOROCCAN STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put the couscous and spice mix in a small heatproof bowl and pour over 50ml hot water. Cover and set aside for 5 mins. Fluff the grains up with a fork, then stir in the apricots, pine nuts and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Make a large slit down one side of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Stuff the couscous mixture inside, then sit the chicken in a small roasting tin. Brush over the oil and roast for 20 mins until cooked through. Serve with roasted baby new potatoes and a crisp green salad.

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH CURRIED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Place the couscous in a medium-size bowl and drizzle the olive oil over it to help keep the grains separate.
• Stir the couscous around until all the grains are coated with oil.
• Stir in the hot water.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat.
• Add the onion and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more.
• Be careful not to brown the curry powder or it will become bitter.
• Add the couscous to the skillet and mix well.
• Stir until the couscous is hot, about 2 minutes, then add the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the Tabasco, pine nuts, and currants.
• Taste the couscous; it should be highly seasoned.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Rinse the chicken under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels.
• Split each breast in half, making sure the skin is evenly divided between the two pieces.
• Starting from the wing socket, gently run your finger in between the skin and meat to make a pocket, being careful not to pull the skin away from around the edges.
• Using a spoon, stuff the couscous under the skin, filling each breast piece nicely with a mound of the mixture.
• Try not to pull the skin away from the meat as you do this—but if you do, just smooth the skin over the stuffing as best you can.
• It's hard to do this neatly, but when you're finished, wipe off any couscous sticking to the outside of the breast.
• Place the stuffed breasts on a baking sheet, dot them with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and sprinkle with salt.
• Roast until the skin is nicely browned and crisp and the chicken is done, about 30 minutes (the juices should run clear when a small cut is made in the thickest part of the breast).
• If the skin has browned well and the meat is still underdone, place a loose tent of aluminum foil over the chicken to prevent further browning and cook 5 minutes more before checking again.
• Serve immediately.