North African Chicken And Spinach Stew Recipes

NORTH AFRICAN CHICKEN AND SPINACH STEW

Steps:

• PLACE the chicken in a large pot and cover it with water. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and bay leaves and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• REMOVE the chicken to a deep dish or bowl and let it drain. Strain the stock into a large bowl or pan and set aside. Transfer the vegetables from the strainer to a blender (remove the bay leaves), add the garlic, and puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
• TO make the spinach stew, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. When it's bubbling slightly, add the vegetable puree. Warm it through, about 2 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and the cinnamon stick, then add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved stock and bring to a simmer. Cook to let the flavors develop, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat and keep warm (remove the cinnamon stick before serving).
• MEANWHILE, when the chicken is cool enough to handle, pat it completely dry and break it down into 8 pieces: 2 thighs, 2 wings, and 2 breasts, then split the breasts in half. Place the chicken pieces in a large dish. Combine the granulated onion, granulated garlic, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Completely coat the chicken in this dry rub.
• MELT the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear until charred in spots, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• SERVE the chicken with rice and a generous ladle of spinach stew. Squeeze lemon over the plate if desired.

NORTH AFRICAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Cut each chicken breast in half, then season all the chicken. Heat the oil in a mediumsize ovenproof casserole dish. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and brown well all over - you can do it in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Lower heat slightly, add the shallots to the pan and cook until golden brown all over. Add the garlic and grated ginger and cook for 30 secs before adding all the spices and cooking for 1 min more.
• Throw the butternut squash into the pan and stir to coat in the spices. Arrange the chicken, skin side uppermost, on top of the shallots and squash. Pour over the stock and drizzle in the honey. Bring to a gentle simmer, then transfer to the oven to bake for 40 mins until tender. Scatter with the coriander and serve with couscous and a bowl of harissa, if you like.

SPICED CHICKEN, SPINACH & SWEET POTATO STEW

Steps:

• Put the sweet potato in a large, deep saucepan over a high heat. Cover with boiling water and boil for 10 mins. Meanwhile, put all the paste ingredients in a food processor and blend until very finely chopped. Set aside until needed.
• Put the spinach in a large colander in the sink and pour the sweet potatoes and their cooking water over it to drain the potatoes and wilt the spinach at the same time. Leave to steam-dry.
• Return the saucepan to the heat (no need to wash it first), then add the oil, followed by the spice paste. Fry the paste for about 5 mins until thickened, then add the chicken. Fry for 8-10 mins until the chicken starts to colour. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
• Check the chicken is cooked by cutting into one of the thighs and making sure it's white throughout with no signs of pink. Season with black pepper, then add the sweet potato. Leave to simmer for a further 5 mins. Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach and add to the stew. At this point you can leave the stew to cool and freeze for up to 3 months, if you like.
• Scatter over the pumpkin seeds and preserved lemons, and serve with warm naan bread on the side.

CREAMY SPINACH-ARTICHOKE CHICKEN STEW

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid scorching. Stir in the garlic.
• Pour in the stock and wine, and bring to a bubble. Add the chicken thighs, lemon juice and red-pepper flakes; season with 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper. Mix well to combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Add the frozen spinach and the artichoke hearts to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring to help the spinach defrost and wilt into the stew. When the spinach is warm and evenly distributed, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is tender and the flavors are blended, another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the cream cheese in dollops, stirring to melt it into the soup. Add the dill. Using two forks, coarsely break or shred the chicken into large chunks. Taste and add more salt and black pepper if necessary.
• Divide the stew among bowls, and top with scallions and Parmesan.

NORTH AFRICAN CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• In a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker, combine onion and oil. Place chicken thighs on top of onion; sprinkle with next 7 ingredients. Top with raisins, olives, lemon and garlic. Add broth. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 4-5 hours. Serve with hot cooked rice.

SPICY, HOT AFRICAN CHICKEN WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Rinse off chicken and cut off extra fat. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
• Peel garlic cloves (4-6).
• Wash and dry spinach.
• Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot. Keep heat low so oil does not smoke.
• Add garlic to oil in pan and heat until brown, remove with spoon and set aside (be careful)
• Add chicken to pan and turn heat to medium.
• Put a good sear on the chicken until it is browned.
• Add half water to pan and deglaze. This will get the chicken flavor off the bottom of the pan.
• Add bouillon and pepper to water and bring to a boil. You now have your chicken simmering in a broth.
• Reduce pan liquid by half. Cook until chicken is falling off the bone.
• Add peanut butter, browned garlic, and paprika.
• Add spinach and stir until all ingredient have integrated (10 minutes at least).
• Watch it close so it doesn't burn.
• The stew should be thick when you remove it. If its runny then let it simmer until it thickens.