Moroccan Spiced Chicken With Almonds And Dates Recipes

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Toss the green beans and carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each ras el hanout and salt and a few grinds of pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on the upper rack until tender and lightly browned, adding the almonds halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with the remaining 1 teaspoon ras el hanout and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add to the skillet; cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to another rimmed baking sheet and roast on the lower oven rack until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the shallot. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits, then add the apricots, olives and harissa. Cook until the apricots soften and the broth is reduced by two-thirds, about 5 minutes; season with salt. Pour any accumulated juices from the chicken into the sauce.
• Slice the chicken and serve with the roasted vegetables. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH DATES AND MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and flour. Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken pieces to pot and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking sheet or platter; repeat with remaining chicken. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot and discard. Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to pot; sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to high; add broth and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until shallots begin to soften, about 18 minutes. Place chicken pieces atop shallots in pot. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of drumstick is pierced with knife, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer chicken and shallots to platter; tent with foil. Boil juices in pot until slightly thickened. Stir in dates and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently until dates are heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce and dates over chicken. Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro, and serve.

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN WITH ALMONDS AND DATES

Steps:

• Coat chicken with flour.
• Heat oil in large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add half of chicken; brown about 5 minutes per side.
• Remove from skillet.
• Repeat browning step with remaining chicken, adding onion.
• Return all chicken to skillet.
• Combine cinnamon, cumin, ginger and turmeric in small bowl; add to chicken.
• Stir to evenly coat chicken and onions with spices; saute 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in broth, lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Stir in dates and almonds and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Uncover and simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve over cooked basmati rice.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN COUSCOUS WITH DATES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Season the chicken, then cook for 10 mins or until browned on both sides. Remove and put in a large baking dish with the dry couscous.
• Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the onions and garlic, and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon along with the stock, cumin, cinnamon and dates, then bring to the boil.
• Pour the date mixture over the chicken and couscous, sprinkle over the almonds, cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. Serve sprinkled with the remaining zest and parsley.

MOROCCAN TAGINE OF CHICKEN WITH PRUNES, APRICOTS, AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy frying pan with a cover. Add the onions, and sauté slowly until golden. While the onions are cooking, season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Push aside the onions and tuck the chicken pieces into the pan. Brown them well on all sides.
• Add the prunes, raisins, and apricots to the chicken pieces, along with the saffron, cumin, and paprika, and a cup of water. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. (Add more water if necessary.)
• Just before serving, toast the almonds in the microwave for 3 minutes, and sprinkle them over the chicken. Serve with saffron rice (see page 278).

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH DATES

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbl olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove to a dish and set aside.
• Mix together the ingredients for the ras el hanout in a bowl or jar. Heat remaining tbl oil in dutch oven. Add onion, and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf, 1 tsp ras el hanout and chicken broth.
• Reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, for about 25 minutes.
• Return chicken to the pot, turning pieces to coat with the pan fluids. Cook another 25 minutes.
• Add dates, almonds, and honey. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Store extra spice mix covered in cool, dark place.

YVONNE MAFFEI'S ROAST CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS, DATES AND BUTTERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large ovenproof dish or pot with a tight lid, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, the ginger, the pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and rub it around in the mixture until evenly coated. Turn chicken breast side down and roast, uncovered, for 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine couscous, 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 5 to 15 minutes to soak.
• In a small skillet, melt the butter. Add almonds and cook, stirring constantly, just until toasted and golden; adjust heat so almonds and butter do not scorch. Turn off heat and stir in dates.
• Add almond-date mixture to couscous, along with any butter left in pan, and mix, fluffing the grains with a fork. Mix in 2 tablespoons olive oil, the sugar, the cinnamon and the orange blossom water (if using).
• Drizzle or paint honey over top of chicken (leave chicken breast-side down in pot). Add couscous mixture to the pot, arranging it around the chicken. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and return to the oven for 30 minutes more.
• Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove chicken and carve into serving pieces. Stir and fluff couscous, scraping up any chicken skin stuck to bottom of pan, and place chicken pieces back on top of couscous. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve immediately.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and brown in a large saucepan over medium heat until almost cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
• Saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery in same pan. When tender, stir in ginger, paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and turmeric; stir fry for about 1 minute, then mix in broth and tomatoes. Return chicken to pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add chickpeas and zucchini to pan and bring to simmering once again; cover pan and cook for about 15 minutes, or until zucchini is cooked through and tender. Stir in lemon juice and serve.

CHICKEN WITH DATES AND MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and flour. Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add half of chicken pieces to pot and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking sheet or platter; repeat with remaining chicken.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot and discard. Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to pot; saute until golden, about 6 minutes.
• Add cinnamon sticks, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Increase heat to high; add broth and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until shallots begin to soften, about 18 minutes.
• Place chicken pieces atop shallots in pot. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of drumstick is pierced with knife, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer chicken and shallots to platter; tent with foil. Boil juices in pot until slightly thickened. Stir in dates and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
• Reduce heat and simmer gently until dates are heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce and dates over chicken. Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro, serve.