A few blogs ago..in a kitchen far far away...I had a double disaster weekend in cooking. Figuring that I really should try to be smarter than the recipe - I wanted to try again. I dug through my recipes of yummies yet to be tasted when I can across "Moroccan Chicken". I just love a recipe where I actually have most, if not all of the ingredients in my house already. I wasn't very OCD this weekend and didn't plan my meals before the shopping list so making something brand new seemed like an impossibility. But no! Moroccan Chicken jumped out of the recipes and into my lap (well, not really of course - but it did stand out).
Basically this recipe is a quick braise. If you are a lover of garlic, this is the recipe for you. It's not too spicy, although I used 1/2 the amount of cayenne pepper called for just for the simple fact that I knew there would be leftovers and the longer cayenne sits in a recipe - the spicier it gets.
The sauce was a bit thinner than I wanted. A direct result of not reducing it enough because I was too impatient (translation: hungry) so it ran all over the plate - but was still yummy. I wanted to serve it with couscous but didn't have enough so I had 1/2 brown rice, 1/2 couscous and Chris had couscous only. The chicken was tender and the olives had just enough bite. Be sure and rinse them off with water just in case the brine is extra salty.
A truly easy recipe that only tastes complicated.
MOROCCAN CHICKEN
1 1/4 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1/8)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 strips lemon zest (each about 2 inches by 3/4 inch)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice , from 1 to 2 lemons
5 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion , halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 3 cups)
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon honey
2 medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2
cups)
1 cup Greek cracked green olives , pitted and halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1. Combine spices in small bowl and set aside. Mince 1 strip lemon zest; combine with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and mince together until reduced to fine paste; set aside.
2. Season both sides of chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown chicken until lightly golden, about 2 minutes; using tongs, turn chicken and brown on second side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer chicken to large plate.
3. Add onion and 2 remaining lemon zest strips to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have browned at edges but still retain shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add 1 tablespoon water if pan gets too dark). Add remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spices and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened and very fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in broth and honey, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits.
4. Add carrots to pot and arrange chicken on top of carrots. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
5. Transfer chicken to plate or bowl and tent with foil. Add olives to pot; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until liquid has thickened slightly and carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Return chicken to pot and add garlic-zest mixture, cilantro, and lemon juice; stir to combine and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
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