Moroccan Chicken with Pistachios, Apricots, Roses, & Marigolds
Submitted by ladygrey
Moroccan chicken with pistachios, dried apricots, pine nuts, and cinnamon over rice, finished with rosewater and edible flower petals. An aromatic, jewel-toned one-dish dinner.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
15 minREADY
25 minThis Moroccan chicken is the kind of dish that fills your kitchen with the most incredible perfume while it cooks. Cinnamon-dusted chicken strips tossed with pistachios, pine nuts, and dried apricots over long grain rice, then sprinkled with rosewater and scattered with actual rose and marigold petals. It looks like something from a palace table and comes together in about 25 minutes.
The cinnamon does double duty, sprinkled on both the nut-apricot mixture and the chicken as they fry. It’s a warm, sweet spice that bridges the gap between the savory chicken and the fruity dried apricots. Don’t hold back on it. That full teaspoon (or up to two) is what gives this dish its distinctly North African character.
Cooking the chicken quickly in hot oil keeps it tender and juicy. The recipe warns against overcooking, and that warning matters. Thin strips of boneless breast go from succulent to dry in under a minute of extra cooking. Pull them the moment they’re cooked through.
The rosewater sprinkled over the finished dish right before serving is subtle but transformative. Just a teaspoon adds a floral perfume that makes the whole plate smell extraordinary without tasting soapy.
Use pot marigold (Calendula) petals, not African marigold (Tagetes), which can taste bitter.
Chef Tips
- Chop the dried apricots small so they distribute evenly through the rice and soften slightly from the heat
- Toast the pistachios and pine nuts briefly in the pan for deeper flavor. They burn fast, so keep them moving
- Rosewater varies wildly in strength between brands. Start with half a teaspoon and add more to taste
- Serve on a wide, shallow platter so the flower petals are visible. Presentation is half the experience here
Variations
- Add a pinch of saffron threads to the cooking water for golden-tinted rice
- Swap chicken for lamb strips for a richer, more traditional Moroccan pairing
- Use dried cranberries instead of apricots for a tarter, more vibrant fruit contrast
Ingredients
Directions
Make certain you use a pot marigold (Calendula) rather than an African marigold (Tagetes)
Cook the rice in boiling, salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until just tender; it should still be a little chewy.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan, put in the onions and fry quickly for 2 minutes.
Add the apricots, pistachios, pine kernels, sprinkling them with cinnamon as they cook.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the mixture from the pan and stir into the rice.
Cover and keep warm.
Heat the remaining oil, put in the chicken strips and fry quickly, sprinkling with a little more cinnamon.
Do not overcook the chicken, which should be tender and juicy.
Mix the cooked chicken into the rice, season if necessary and spread the mixture in a wide shallow dish.
Sprinkle with rose water and decorate with the rose and marigold petals.
Serve at once.
Comments
