Moroccan chicken with Couscous
Moroccan chicken with rice offers a vibrant mix of savoury, spicy, and tangy flavours with a touch of sweetness and warm, aromatic spices.
Here's a breakdown of the taste:
- Savoury and Aromatic: The chicken thighs and vegetables are seasoned with a mix of ground cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and harissa, giving the dish a rich, earthy, and slightly spicy flavour profile.
- Sweetness: The addition of honey provides a subtle sweetness that complements the savoury spices.
- Citrusy and Tangy: Preserved lemons and lemon wedges add a tangy, citrusy flavour that brightens the dish.
- Warm Spices: Cinnamon sticks add a warm, sweet-spicy note that is characteristic of Moroccan cuisine.
- Vegetable Medley: The mix of carrots, red onions, capsicums, zucchini, and mushrooms adds a variety of textures and flavours, from the sweetness of the carrots to the slight bitterness of the capsicums.
- Umami: The combination of cherry tomatoes, olives, and the stock cube enhances the overall umami flavour, making the dish rich and satisfying.
This dish offers a balanced meal with a mix of proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates, along with a variety of vitamins and minerals, making it a wholesome and delicious option for a nutritious meal.
Nutrients
Per serving
Steps
Preheat oven to 200C/190C fan
Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed casserole dish
Add onions, garlic, and all the spices and gently cook together for 5 to 10 mins
Add the stock, tin of tomatoes, carrots, capsicums and zucchini and season to taste
Stir together and bring to the boil
Place the chicken thighs on the top and gently push down into the mixture until just submerged
Top with the preserved lemon and honey and cover with lid
Cook in oven for 15 mins at 200C/190C fan and then reduce heat to 150C/130C fan for 3 hours
Add the olives and mushrooms and gently stir together and return to the oven for a further 30 mins
Dissolve the stock cube in 1 cup of water and add the couscous and cover the bowl in glad wrap and put to one side
To serve, place the slow cooked Moroccan chicken with the couscous and serve with chopped parsley and lemon wedges plus steamed asparagus or other green vegetables to taste.
Ingredients
| 2 | Carrots thickly sliced |
| 2 | Red onions cut into thick wedges |
| 1 | Large red capsicum thickly sliced |
| 1 | Large yellow capsicum thickly sliced |
| 1 | Large zucchini thickly sliced |
| 200g | Button mushrooms |
| 4 | Garlic cloves crushed |
| 2 | Tsp ground cumin |
| 2 | Tsp ground coriander |
| 2 | Tsp paprika |
| 1 | Tsp ground harissa |
| 2 | Cinnamon sticks |
| 400g | Tin cherry tomatoes |
| 1 Tbsp | Olive oil |
| 8 | Skinless chicken thighs |
| 1/2 | Preserved lemon (flesh removed) thinly sliced |
| 200g | Pitted green olives |
| 1 | Tbsp honey |
| 200g | Couscous |
| 1 | Stock cube |
| 1 | Lemon cut into wedges |
| 1/2 | Bunch parsley |
| 1 | Bunch Asparagus or greens to taste |
