Moroccan Chicken With Fall Vegetables And Dried Plums Recipes

ALE-SIMMERED CHICKEN WITH DRIED PLUMS

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from chicken parts and cut breasts in half so that all the pieces will cook in roughly the same amount of time. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large, oven-proof pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on all sides, about 5 minutes per side, then set aside on a plate and reserve. Add the onions and garlic and cook a couple minutes to sweat them down a little. Add the ale and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste and canned tomatoes and stir well until tomato paste is dissolved. Add carrots, thyme, and plums. Return the chicken to the pot along with any reserved juices. Gently submerge the chicken pieces by nestling them into liquid (this will cook them evenly without drying them out).
• Return to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours until chicken is cooked through and starting to fall off the bone.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH SQUASH AND DRIED PLUMS

Steps:

• In a medium glass bowl, combine the spice mixture, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and harissa. Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Warm the chicken broth and add the saffron strands, then allow to steep at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. In a Dutch oven over high heat, brown the chicken thighs on both sides in 2 tablespoons olive oil, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set chicken aside on a plate. Reduce the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, and saute the onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Place the chicken thighs on top of the onions and add any accumulated juices from the plate. Arrange the zucchini and yellow squash and tomato quarters on top of the chicken and tuck in the prunes and olives. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken broth and saffron. Cover and place on the bottom rack of the oven. Let cook undisturbed 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is falling off the bone. Remove from the oven and transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to a large serving dish.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the almonds and fry until the skins begin to crackle, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the almonds and hot oil over the vegetables and chicken on the serving dish. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve, spooning over the sauce in the dish and garnishing each plate with the lemon quarters.
• Combine the spices in a coffee grinder and grind to a medium-fine powder. Add the kosher salt and pepper. Store in an air-tight container, if not using immediately.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH SQUASH AND DRIED PLUMS

Steps:

• In a medium glass bowl, combine the spice mixture, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and harissa. Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Warm the chicken broth and add the saffron strands, then allow to steep at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. In a Dutch oven over high heat, brown the chicken thighs on both sides in 2 tablespoons olive oil, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set chicken aside on a plate. Reduce the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, and saute the onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Place the chicken thighs on top of the onions and add any accumulated juices from the plate. Arrange the zucchini and yellow squash and tomato quarters on top of the chicken and tuck in the prunes and olives. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken broth and saffron.
• Cover and place on the bottom rack of the oven. Let cook undisturbed 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is falling off the bone. Remove from the oven and transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to a large serving dish.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the almonds and fry until the skins begin to crackle, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the almonds and hot oil over the vegetables and chicken on the serving dish. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve, spooning over the sauce in the dish and garnishing each plate with the lemon quarters.

STEAMED MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, onions, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, raisins, parsley, and mint, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together stock, ginger, garlic, curry powder, chutney, 3/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and cornstarch. Pour over chicken-vegetable mixture, and toss to combine.
• Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup water and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in couscous, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, cover again, and set aside until ready to serve.
• Fold two 24-inch lengths of aluminum foil in half crosswise, and unfold. Place half the chicken-vegetable mixture on one of the pieces of foil, 2 to 3 inches from the fold. Refold along the crease, enclosing mixture, and make a double 1/2-inch fold along the 3 open sides. Repeat process to make the second packet. Place both packets on a baking sheet, and bake for 18 minutes. Divide couscous between two bowls. Open packets, arrange contents over couscous, and serve immediately.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH DRIED FRUIT AND OLIVE TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle salt, pepper, and thyme evenly over chicken.
• Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; cover and keep warm.
• Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan.
• Add onion to pan; saute 2 minutes until tender.
• Add garlic to pan; saute 30 seconds.
• Add remaining ingredients to pan (fruit, wine, broth, olives, salt, and pepper); cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.
• When there was still some liquid left in the pan, I threw the chicken back in to warm through and soak some of the flavor.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CHICKEN AND ROOT VEGETABLE STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pot and sauté until light golden but not cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to bowl.
• Add onion to pot and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add curry powder, cumin and cinnamon stick and stir 30 seconds. Add sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, broth and currants. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken with any accumulated juices to pot. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and flavors blend, about 5 minutes longer. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cut 3 deep slashes into each chicken breast and place in an ovenproof baking dish. Mix the lemon zest, juice, oil and spices together, then pour over the chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 20 mins.
• Cook the quinoa according to pack instructions then tip into a large bowl. Stir through the rest of the ingredients and divide between serving plates. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve on top of the quinoa with the juices drizzled over.