Moroccan Chicken With Eggplant Tomatoes And Almond... |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This tasty beauty is a North African, tagine-inspired classic Moroccan stew. This version calls for dark meat because it stays moist when braised. If you prefer white meat, reduce the cooking time by 15 minutes. Read more . I offer you the original recipe, but I did mess with it a bit - because I knew it needed a little tweaking. I served this with jasmine rice cooked in chicken broth and made more flavorful and colorful with sauteed red Cubanelle peppers, garlic, cilantro and almonds. It is wonderful and the leftovers are divine. Share with someone you care for - they'll really like you for the favor. Enjoy. Original recipe from Bon Appétit. Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided |
3 cups sliced onions |
6 large garlic cloves, minced |
1 tablespoon hungarian sweet paprika |
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt |
1 teaspoon turmeric |
1 teaspoon ground coriander |
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground |
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (i bumped this to 1 teaspoon) |
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (i bumped this to 1 teaspoon, too) |
2 cups drained canned diced tomatoes (from 28-ounce can) - i added the juice back in with the chicken |
1 cup water (i used chicken broth to add more flavor) |
3 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice - i used about 5 tbsp. |
8 chicken thighs with bones, skinned |
8 chicken drumsticks, skinned |
1 large eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes |
my adds |
1 heaping teaspoon of cayenne (don't be afraid of the cayenne here...it doesn't make the dish 'hot'...but just adds a nice background taste and slight heat - it's good!) |
1 heaping tablespoon of lemon zest at the end |
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram |
1/2 cup whole blanched almonds or slivered almonds, toasted |
chopped fresh cilantro (i used about 1/2 cup, maybe a bit more) |
Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large wide pot over medium heat.
2. Add onions and garlic. Cover and cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add paprika, salt, turmeric, coriander, fennel, pepper, cumin, ginger and cayenne; stir 1 minute.
4. Add tomatoes, 1 cup water, and lemon juice; bring to boil.
5. Arrange all chicken in single layer in pot; spoon some sauce over. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
6. Turn chicken over, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes longer.
7. ~~~~
8. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
9. Place eggplant and remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl; toss to coat. Spread eggplant out on prepared baking sheet and bake until soft and brown, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
10. ~NOTE: I salted my eggplant pretty liberally mid-through roasting because I felt this stew was going to need some substantial salt in the end if I didn't. I was glad I did. You want to season everything as you go and not have to salt the finished product to death.
11. ~NOTE 2: Chicken and eggplant can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate separately until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.
12. Stir eggplant and marjoram into chicken. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to heat through and blend flavors.
13. Season stew to taste with more lemon juice, if desired, and salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to large shallow bowl.
14. Sprinkle with almonds, cilantro and lemon zest..
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