Moroccan Chicken with Couscous
Submitted by mjorko
Moroccan chicken with couscous simmers chicken legs in paprika, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon with lemon and carrots, served over currant-studded allspice couscous. North African flavors at home.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsMoroccan chicken with couscous is the home cook’s gateway to North African flavors. Chicken legs braise in a warm mix of paprika, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon, with sliced carrots, onion, and lemon wedges tossed in to round out the pot. The lemon is the single most important player; its acid keeps all those warm spices bright and balanced.
Browning the chicken first is where the flavor foundation lives. Skin-on dark meat like drumsticks or thighs releases fat that becomes the cooking medium for the onions and spices. That rendered fat carries flavor through the whole dish.
Blooming the spices in hot fat for a minute or two before adding liquid is another step worth respecting. Dry spices packed with dormant flavor compounds come alive when hit with heat and oil. Skip the bloom and you get muddy, underwhelming spice.
The couscous cooks separately in chicken broth spiked with dried currants and allspice. That sweet-savory base catches all the juices from the chicken braise when you spoon everything together.
Serve family-style on a platter, chicken and carrots atop the couscous, with the pan juices spooned over everything. Warm pita or crusty bread on the side.
Chef Tips
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (drumstick and thigh together) for best flavor and texture. Boneless breasts dry out in the braise.
- Preserved lemon in place of fresh wedges would make this more traditionally Moroccan. Fresh lemon is the weeknight substitute; preserved is the real deal.
- Toast the couscous in a dry pan for 2 minutes before adding broth for a nuttier flavor and better texture.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley at the table. The herb finish brightens everything.
Variations
- Add ½ cup green olives to the braise for classic tagine-style salt and brine.
- Swap currants for golden raisins or chopped dried apricots in the couscous.
- Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne or a pinch of saffron threads for more traditional Moroccan complexity.
Ingredients
Directions
Skin and disjoint the chicken, season with the salt (if desired).
Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably one with a nonstick surface, and brown the chicken on both sides over medium-high heat.
Remove chicken to a platter.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add onions to skillet and sauce.
Add the carrots and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the paprika, ginger, tumeric and cinnamon and cook.
Return chicken and their juices to skillet, add lemon wedges.
Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, turning chicken occasionally, for 30 minutes or until it is cooked through.
In a medium-size saucepan, combine the broth, currants, salt (if desired), and all spice, and bring to a boil.
Stir in the couscous, boil for 2 minutes, remove pan from heat.
Serve the chicken and carrots over the couscous, surrounded.
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