Recipe: Moroccan Braised Chicken with Orange Couscous

Moroccan Braised Chicken with Orange Couscous

This delicious Dutch Oven recipe comes straight from the gourmet kitchens at Le Creuset! Combining delicious chicken with a tantalizing Orange Couscous makes this a hit recipel

Moroccan Braised Chicken with Orange Couscous

 

Ingredients (Orange Couscous:

- 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups couscous
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients (Braised Chicken):

- 1 (3- or 4-pound) chicken
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, julienned
- 1 fennel bulb, julienned
- 1 onion, peeled and julienned
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, ground
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 10 sprigs cilantro, leaves chiffonade
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 japanese eggplant, cut into large dice
- 1 zucchini, cut into large dice
- 1/3 cup Nicoise olives, pitted

Directions (Orange Couscous):

 

1. In a large saucepan, bring orange juice and salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous and cover.
2. Turn off the heat. Let steam 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Stir in olive oil.

Directions (Braised Chicken):

1. Rinse the chicken under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. With poultry shears, remove the wing tips and back of the chicken. Remove the wishbone. Butcher the chicken in 10 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, and 4 breast pieces. Leave the bones attached.
3. Preheat oven to 325 F. Heat a 6 3/4 qt. oval Dutch oven over medium heat.
4. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess.
5. Add olive oil to the heated Dutch oven. Place half of the chicken pieces in the pot, skin side down. Saute on both sides until golden-brown. Remove and reserve, and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
6. Pour off most of the fat from the Dutch oven. Over low heat, add the bell pepper, fennel, onion and bay leaf. Sweat until tender. Add chopped garlic and sweat 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, tomato paste and 2 teaspoons salt. Add white wine and reduce by half.
8. Add chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro leaves, honey and tomatoes. Place all the sauteed chicken, minus the breast pieces, into the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven.
9. Cook 30 minutes, then return to the stovetop.
10. Add the eggplant, zucchini, olives and chicken breast. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and return to the oven. Cook 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and serve with orange couscous.