Chicken With Dates Apricots And Couscous Recipes

ROAST CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS, RAISINS, APRICOTS, DATES & ALMONDS (DJAJ M'AMMAR BIL KESKSOU)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400° F. To an oven-safe dish or pan, add the olive oil, lemon juice, ground cinnamon and ginger, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and rub it around it the spice and oil mixture.
• To a large dish add the couscous, the water and salt. Let it sit for about five minutes. Once the couscous has fluffed up, add the remaining ingredients (sugar, olive oil, ground cinnamon and orange blossom water). Flip the chicken, if desired. If not, let it cook for an additional 10 minutes.Add the couscous mixture all around the chicken. Add a few pats of butter on top of the couscous. Cover with a lid or foil and return back to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

CHICKEN, DATE AND APRICOT TAGINE

Steps:

• Skin and cut chicken into 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 breast halves and 2 wings. Reserve chicken wings for another use.
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Add onion and the next 6 ingredients (onion through garlic) and cook 4 minutes; stirring occasionally. Add broth, dates, apricots, rind, and salt. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove from heat; stir in the parsley, lemon sections and cilantro. Serve over couscous.

CHICKEN WITH DATES, APRICOTS AND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add the chicken pieces, cook/brown for 5 minutes on each side.
• Add in the onions, and the next 6 ingredients (onion through garlic) cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add in the chicken broth, dates, apricots, rind and salt; bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
• Remove from the heat; stir in the chopped parsley, lemon sections and cilantro.
• Serve with the cooked couscous.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH APRICOT COUSCOUS AND GREEN OLIVE SAUCE IN FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• To prepare the Moroccan Spice Mix for the Chicken: Combine the cinnamon stick, cloves, cayenne, cumin, fennel, coriander, and paprika in a dry skillet over low heat and toast for just a minute to release the fragrant oils; shake the pan so they don't scorch. In a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together, with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and the brown sugar. (A word of advice: make sure you thoroughly wipe out your coffee grinder before you make coffee again - Moroccan spices taste great on chicken but horrible with coffee.)
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Massage the chicken skin with the spice rub; make sure you don't miss a spot. Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the lemons halves, cilantro, and garlic in the cavity and place the chicken in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Fold the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken. If you have time, let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to really get the flavors down deep into the meat. Roast the chicken for 1 hour; pop an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; if it reads 160 degrees F, it's done. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes so the juices can settle back into the meat. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken. Pull the chicken from the bone and shred the meat, with your fingers or 2 forks. Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl and squeeze the lemon halves that have cooked inside the bird over the meat to moisten.
• To prepare the Apricot Couscous: Put the couscous in a medium bowl; pour the water over it, stir with a fork to combine. Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork. Put the apricots, almonds, green onions, mint, and cilantro on a cutting board and coarsely chop everything up; add this to the couscous. Add lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• To prepare the Green Olive Sauce: In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the shallots and chile over low heat for 8 minutes until caramelized, then scrape into a food processor. Add the olives, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of oil; puree a good 3 minutes until totally smooth.
• To put the whole thing together: put the shredded chicken and couscous on the lavosh bread, add a few spoonfuls of the olive sauce, and roll the sandwich up. Wrap in foil and take the sandwich to a picnic, if desired.

COUSCOUS WITH DRIED DATES

Steps:

• Bring the water, stock, and oil to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the dates followed by the couscous. Cover the pan tightly with a lid, remove from the heat, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

YVONNE MAFFEI'S ROAST CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS, DATES AND BUTTERED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large ovenproof dish or pot with a tight lid, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, the ginger, the pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and rub it around in the mixture until evenly coated. Turn chicken breast side down and roast, uncovered, for 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine couscous, 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 5 to 15 minutes to soak.
• In a small skillet, melt the butter. Add almonds and cook, stirring constantly, just until toasted and golden; adjust heat so almonds and butter do not scorch. Turn off heat and stir in dates.
• Add almond-date mixture to couscous, along with any butter left in pan, and mix, fluffing the grains with a fork. Mix in 2 tablespoons olive oil, the sugar, the cinnamon and the orange blossom water (if using).
• Drizzle or paint honey over top of chicken (leave chicken breast-side down in pot). Add couscous mixture to the pot, arranging it around the chicken. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and return to the oven for 30 minutes more.
• Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove chicken and carve into serving pieces. Stir and fluff couscous, scraping up any chicken skin stuck to bottom of pan, and place chicken pieces back on top of couscous. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve immediately.

CHICKEN AND APRICOT STEW WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the chicken, and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil.
• Reduce heat to medium; add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; saute briefly. Add apricots, cinnamon, saffron, ginger, coriander, 2/3 cup water, and 2 tablespoons honey; season with salt.
• Return chicken to skillet; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until chicken is cooked through and liquid is thickened, 45 to 50 minutes. (If sauce has not thickened, transfer chicken to a platter and place it into an oven preheated to 200 degrees to keep warm. Reduce sauce to desired consistency.) Add remaining 2 tablespoons honey and salt to taste. Pour over chicken on platter.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring stock to a boil. Place couscous and butter in a medium bowl. Pour stock over couscous; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until the couscous absorbs all the stock, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and season with salt. Stir in almonds. Serve couscous with chicken, and garnish with sesame seeds.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN COUSCOUS WITH DATES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Season the chicken, then cook for 10 mins or until browned on both sides. Remove and put in a large baking dish with the dry couscous.
• Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the onions and garlic, and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon along with the stock, cumin, cinnamon and dates, then bring to the boil.
• Pour the date mixture over the chicken and couscous, sprinkle over the almonds, cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. Serve sprinkled with the remaining zest and parsley.

CHICKEN WITH CINNAMON AND DATES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a large Dutch oven (or skillet, if planning to bake in a tagine) over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add sausage and chicken, and sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Brown about 5 minutes. Turn, sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper, and brown again about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or the bottom of a tagine.
• Add 1 or 2 teaspoons olive oil to Dutch oven or skillet, as needed, and add onions. Sauté until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine, and stir, scraping bottom of pan. Add garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin and paprika, and stir until garlic and ginger are softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, orange juice, raisins and carrots. Return chicken and sausage to pot, or pour onion-carrot mixture over the chicken and sausage in tagine. Add dates and orange wedges, and stir to mix.
• Cover, and bake until chicken and carrots are fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with cilantro and pine nuts. If desired, serve with hot buttered couscous and harissa paste, or chutney.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large straight-sided, oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Add onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in couscous, apricots, and capers and cook until couscous is lightly toasted, 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, skin side up, and transfer to oven. Bake until couscous is tender and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with cilantro.

SAFFRON BUTTER CHICKEN WITH DATE & COUSCOUS STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt half the butter in a pan over a medium heat and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, ginger and chilli, and cook for 2 mins more. Stir in the couscous, then pour over the stock and tip in the dates and barberries. Turn off the heat, cover and leave for 15 mins for the couscous to absorb the liquid.
• Use a fork to stir the walnuts, herbs and spring onions through the couscous. Leave to cool.
• Stuff the chicken with the cooled couscous mixture, pushing it well into the cavity. Let the excess spill out into the tin, then slide it under the chicken to act as a trivet. Rub the remaining butter all over the chicken. Season, then roast for 1 hr 15 mins. Keep an eye on it and if the couscous stuffing that's spilled out is getting too dark, cover it with foil.
• To make the saffron butter, melt the unsalted butter, then add a generous pinch of saffron and let this sit for about 30 mins, to allow the butter to be properly infused. About 10 mins before the end of the cooking time, pour over the chicken. Serve with Greek yogurt and a green salad, if you like.

MOROCCAN APRICOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add almonds; cook and stir until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. In the same skillet, brown chicken on both sides. Remove from heat. Transfer chicken to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir chili sauce, preserves, apricots, Moroccan seasoning, vanilla and garlic powder into drippings. Pour over chicken., Cook, covered, on low until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175°, 4 to 4-1/2 hours. Stir in garbanzo beans and orange juice. Cook, covered, on low until heated through, 15-30 minutes longer. Serve with almonds. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

HARVESTTIME CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a 4-qt. slow cooker, layer sweet potatoes, red pepper and chicken breasts. In a small bowl, mix tomatoes, salsa, raisins and seasonings; pour over chicken. Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until sweet potatoes and chicken are tender., About 10 minutes before serving, prepare couscous. In a small saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork., Remove chicken from slow cooker; coarsely shred with 2 forks. Return chicken to slow cooker, stirring gently to combine. Serve with couscous., Freeze option: Place cooled chicken mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Microwave, covered, on high in a microwave-safe dish until heated through, stirring gently; add a little broth or water if necessary.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH DATES AND MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and flour. Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken pieces to pot and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking sheet or platter; repeat with remaining chicken. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot and discard. Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to pot; sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to high; add broth and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until shallots begin to soften, about 18 minutes. Place chicken pieces atop shallots in pot. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of drumstick is pierced with knife, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer chicken and shallots to platter; tent with foil. Boil juices in pot until slightly thickened. Stir in dates and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently until dates are heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour sauce and dates over chicken. Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro, and serve.