Orangey Moroccan Chicken Recipes

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon. Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set aside.
• Season both sides of chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken (with any accumulated juices) back in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.
• Stir in the olives, reserved lemon zest-garlic mixture, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.
• Note: Don't fret too much over trimming the chicken thighs. The skin gets removed midway through the cooking process and most of the fat will cook off and get drained. I usually just take kitchen shears and quickly snip off any excess skin or fat. Cracked green olives are olives that have been 'cracked' or split open before curing, allowing the brine or marinade to penetrate. You can find them in your supermarket's olive bar, or substitute any green olive that you like.
• Make-Ahead: After you have completed the step of cooking the carrots, the dish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm on the stove until the chicken is heated through, then proceed to the step where the olives and remaining ingredients are added.

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.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH TURMERIC AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken: Place the onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, dried mint, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, turmeric, salt and black pepper in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge until ready to cook or for up to 12 hours.
• When ready to cook, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet or frying pan over medium high and wait for the pan to become very hot. (This ensures a nice sear.) Add the chicken and the marinade to the pan, and cook until chicken is browned underneath and easily releases from the pan, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir the onions every now and then so that they cook evenly. If the pan looks dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan to prevent the juices from drying out. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side until the chicken is cooked through, another 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN SMOTHERED IN OLIVES

Steps:

• To brine chicken (optional): In a large bowl, combine salt, sugar and 1 cup hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add 3 cups cold water and chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain, rinse, and drain again before using.
• In bottom of a large flameproof casserole, arrange onions and top with chicken pieces. Sprinkle with ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, garlic and cilantro. Pour chicken broth over all.
• Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine olives with several cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, drain well and set aside.
• Add olives and lemon juice to chicken, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. If desired, simmer for additional time to reduce and thicken sauce. Serve hot.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN ONE-POT

Steps:

• Season 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a flameproof dish, then brown the chicken on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate.
• Whizz 1 chopped onion, 100g tomatoes, 100g chopped ginger and 3 garlic cloves into a rough paste.
• Fry 1 sliced onion in 1 tbsp olive oil in the dish until softened, then add 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp coriander and 1 tbsp cinnamon and fry for 1 min more until fragrant. Add the paste and fry for another few mins to soften.
• Return the chicken to the dish with 1 large butternut squash, cut into big chunks, 600ml chicken stock, 2 tbsp brown sugar and 2 tbsp red wine vinegar.
• Bring to a simmer, then cook for 30 mins until the chicken is cooked through.
• Lift the chicken out and stir in 100g dried cherries, then continue simmering the sauce to thicken while you shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Stir the chicken back into the sauce and season.
• Mix 1 finely chopped small red onion, the zest of 1 lemon, a handful of mint leaves and 100g crumbled feta cheese. Scatter over the dish, then serve with couscous and natural yogurt.

MOROCCAN ORANGE CHICKEN WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• 1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• 2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Roll chicken in the flour until coated on all sides.
• 3. Place chicken in hot oil and cook, turning occasionally, for about 4 to 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer chicken to platter.
• 4. Add onion slices to skillet, and cook 2 minutes or until soft and just starting to brown. Squeeze the juice of 1 1/2 of the oranges into skillet. Thinly slice remaining 1/2 orange, and add orange slices to skillet. Add olives and water to skillet, and stir well.
• 5. Return chicken to skillet, and cook, stirring frequently to loosen bits on bottom of skillet, for another 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
• 6. Arrange cooked chicken pieces over rice pilaf, then spoon orange and olive bits (from the bottom of the skillet) over the chicken. Serve immediately while still hot.