MOROCCAN BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ORANGE COUSCOUS

Moroccan Braised Chicken with Orange Couscous image

Number Of Ingredients 29

4 Chicken breasts, with skin and bone, halved (8 pieces)
4 Chicken thighs, with skin and bone
1 Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Flour
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 White onion, peeled and julienned
2 Fennel bulbs, julienned
1 Bay leaf
4 Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Whole coriander seeds, ground
1 tablespoon Whole 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
1 Zest from one lemon
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
10 sprigs Cilantro sprigs, leaves chiffonade
1 tablespoon Honey
2 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 Japanese eggplant, cut into large dice
2 Zucchini, cut into large dice
1/3 cup Nicoise olives, pitted and halved
2 cups Orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Couscous
3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

Moroccan Chicken
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Heat 6 3/4 quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge them in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Add olive oli to the heated Dutch oven. Place half of the chicken pieces in the pot, skin side down. Salute on both sides until golden-brown. Remove and reserve, and repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Pour off most of the fat from the Dutch oven. Over low heat, add the fennel, onion and bay leaf. Sweat until tender. Add chopped garlic and sweat 2-3 minutes.
Add coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, tomato paste and 2 teaspoons salt. Add white wine and reduce by half.
Add chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro leaves, honey and tomatoes. Place the chicken thighs into the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven.
Cook 30 minutes, then return to the stovetop.
Add the eggplant, zucchini, olives and chicken breasts. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and return to the oven. Cook 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with orange couscous
Orange Couscous
In a large saucepan, bring orange juice and salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous and cover.
Turn off the heat. Let steam 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Stir in olive oil.