Lemon Paprika Chicken With Chickpeas And Couscous Recipes

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY, CHICKPEAS AND SALTED LEMON

Steps:

• If using whole chicken legs, cut the joint just enough to bend the leg, and make a deep, 2-inch-long cut on the meat without cutting all the way through.
• Cut one half of the lemon crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick half moons. Transfer them to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and use a fork to lightly crush the slices and release the juice. Cut the other lemon half into wedges for serving.
• Pat the chicken pieces dry and season both sides with salt. In a large lidded skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken pieces skin-side down, cover, and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Flip, cover and cook for another minute or two, then transfer chicken to a plate. If working in batches, add 2 more tablespoons oil to the skillet, sear the remaining chicken legs then transfer them to the plate.
• Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the onions and sauté until just softened, about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the white wine, then add the tomatoes with their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you go. Rinse the tomato can with 1 cup water. Add the water and the chickpeas to the pan. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
• Bring to a boil, return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Uncover the pot and transfer the chicken to bowls or a large rimmed serving platter. Add the sliced lemon plus any accumulated juices to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high and allow to thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the rosemary stem, then stir in the hearty greens, remove from heat and season with additional salt if needed.
• To serve, spoon the stew over the chicken legs, top with a handful of the herbs, yogurt and fresh lemon wedges for squeezing. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired, and serve with steamed couscous or slices of crusty bread for dipping.

LEMON-SPICED CHICKEN WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
• Fry the onion gently for five minutes.
• Turn up the heat and add the chicken.
• Fry for about 3 minutes until golden.
• Stir in the spices and the lemon zest and fry for 1 more minute.
• Tip in the chickpeas and stock.
• Put the lid on and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Season to taste and then tip in spinach and re-cover.
• Leave the spinach to wilt for 2 minutes and then stir through.
• Squeeze over the lemon juice just before serving.