SAUCY MOROCCAN CHICKEN AND LEMON WITH DATE COUSCOUS
Serves 4
ACTIVE TIME 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME 45 minutes
Q:
WHAT IS YOUR MOST OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH PANTRY INGREDIENT?
A:
"I love preserved lemons."
-JUDGE GEOFFREY ZAKARIAN
Preserved lemons — lemons that have been salt-cured or sun-pickled for weeks —
are a classic ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking.
Here, salting and sugaring sliced lemons and letting them stand for ten minutes
gets you a similar flavor without the wait or the shopping trip.
Once they've been salted, caramelized, and stewed, try a bite —
they're ultra-flavorful and provide a refreshing counterpoint to the hearty chicken stew.
1 lemon, cut into 1/4-inch rounds (ends and seeds discarded)
2 teaspoons sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
8 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups couscous
!/4 cup chopped pitted dates or golden raisins
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
SEASON THE LEMONS:
Sprinkle
both sides of the lemon slices with the sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a
couple turns of pepper. Arrange on a plate and let stand 10 minutes.
BROWN THE CHICKEN:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Combine the cinnamon, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and a couple turns of pepper.
Sprinkle over the chicken.
Put 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet.
Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until the chicken is golden brown on both sides
(but not cooked through), about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate.
MAKE THE COUSCOUS:
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan with 1 tablespoon of the oil and a pinch of salt;
add the couscous and dates.
Cover, remove from the heat, and set aside until tender, about 10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and stir in half of the cilantro just before serving.
CARAMELIZE THE LEMONS:
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium.
Add the lemon slices in a single layer and cook until golden brown and caramelized on both sides,
about 3 minutes total.
Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
FINISH THE SAUCE:
Add the tomato paste to the skillet and cook, stirring,
until the paste is a shade darker, about 1 minute.
Add 1 1/2 cups water, the chickpeas, chicken, and lemon slices and simmer,
flipping the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through,
about 12 minutes.
Stir in the remaining cilantro and serve on top of the couscous.