It’s been a while since I’ve had time to post anything. I was extremely busy trying to get data for an abstract that was due on the 10th. With that out of the way, I’m hoping to have a little more free time to cook. For my return to blogging, I decided to honor a request. I made Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas and Apricots for a certain someone, and ever since have been harassed to write down the recipe. The recipe itself is from Cooks’ Illustrated, a great cooking magazine. I made a couple changes to simplify it, and I suppose you could make it even easier by substituting boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the skin-on breasts. The cooking method is essentially braising, so using a good dutch oven (like a Le Creuset) and chicken thighs would lead to better results.

Moroccan Chicken with Chickpeas and Apricots

The “Mise”

• 3 bone-in, skin-on, chicken breast halves, cut in half
• 1 cup dried apricots, cut in half
• 1 can chickpeas (aka, garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 large onion, halved and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 9 lemon zest strips, 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into rounds
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt and pepper
• A 10″ (~3 quart) saute pan
• A pair of tongs
• An instant read thermometer
• Whatever side you want, preferably some sort of couscous (Boxed Near East is good enough and simple)

Directions

1. Rinse and dry the chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Organize the ingredients so they’re within reach of the stove. Combine all the spices and set aside. Mince together 3 lemon zest stripes and 1 teaspoon of the garlic.
3. Preheat the saute pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot (about 3 to 4 minutes), add the olive oil and swirl. Place the chicken breasts skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken over with tongs and cook the other side for another 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate.



4. Add or pour out the fat and oil so there’s about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Add the onion and lemon zest. Cook the onion until the edges have browned slightly. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the spice mixture and cook for another minute.
5. Pour the chicken stock into the pan. Scrape off all the bits (the fond) stuck to the bottom of the pan. The chicken breasts should have cooled down by now, so you can remove the skin if you want to keep the dish as grease free as possible. Add the chicken back to the pan, along with the carrots, apricots, and honey. Allow the liquid to come to a gentle simmer (that is, only a bubble or two should be breaking the surface at a time). Lower the heat to low and cover.
6. After about 15 minutes, check the thickest piece of chicken with a thermometer. If it reads 160 F or higher, the chicken is done. Otherwise, adjust heat to get back to a gentle simmer if needed, and check back after a few more minutes. Once the chicken is done, transfer it to a clean plate (not the one you used early unless you cleaned it or enjoy salmonella).



7. Add the chickpeas to the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for about 6 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender. Lower the heat, then add the chicken along with the garlic-lemon zest mixture and lemon juice. Stir to combine and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately over rice or couscous.