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Chicken Tagine with Pine-nut Couscous





Yields
Makes 4 to 6 servings



Total Time
1 hr 20 mins

Most people think of traditional Moroccan tagines as being long-simmered lamb dishes. When prepared with quick-cooking chicken thighs, they're actually relatively fast to make. Fragrant spices give this dish vibrant layers of flavor, and the cooked-down dried fruits create a silken richness. Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Chicken Tagine with Pine-nut Couscous




Dan Goldberg
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 6 bone-in chicken thighs (with skin)
 1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
 4 large garlic cloves, minced
 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
 1 teaspoon ground coriander
 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
 2 small dried red chiles, such as arbol
 1 teaspoon salt
 15 dried apricots, halved
 15 pitted prunes, halved
 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
 5 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs plus 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
 1 1/2 cups couscous
 1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
Step 1
1

Heat oil in a 6- to 8-qt. heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn over and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining chicken and set aside.

Step 2
2

Drain all but 2 tbsp. oil from pot and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and sauté until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, black pepper, cardamom pods, chiles, and salt and stir to combine. Return chicken to pot and add apricots, prunes, 2 cups chicken broth, and parsley sprigs. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Take pot off heat and remove parsley sprigs and chiles. Remove skin from chicken.

Step 3
3

In a covered medium saucepan, bring remaining 2 cups chicken broth to a boil. Turn off heat, stir in couscous, cover, and let sit 5 minutes. Uncover pan and fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in 2 tbsp. minced parsley, pine nuts, and lemon zest and toss to combine. Mound couscous on a platter. Top with chicken thighs and pour sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp. parsley.

Step 4
4

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 0

Amount Per Serving
Calories 793Calories from Fat 40
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 35g54%

Saturated Fat 8.5g43%
Cholesterol 124mg42%
Sodium 1043mg44%
Total Carbohydrate 75g25%

Dietary Fiber 6.2g25%
Protein 46g92%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.