Moroccan inspired chicken and couscous

This dish is inspired by a Margaret Fulton recipe, but this version is quicker and easier.  While I’m sure my version doesn’t have the depth of flavour that Mrs Fulton’s does, there’s a lot less mucking around, so a doable dish for a week night meal.

As with many spice dishes, there are a few ingredients, but most are pantry staples. And when I say spicy, this dish isn’t hot. I took out the saffron because it’s too pricey for my pantry, so if you prefer, throw in some saffron with the other spices. I also put the raisins and chickpeas in with the chicken rather than in with the couscous because I like my couscous plain and buttery and the sultanas swell and go juicy and impart their flavour to the stew, while the chickpeas absorb some of the spice flavour. Thigh fillets have more fat on them and therefore taste a whole lot better (especially in stews) than breast, but chicken breast works just as well. I used tinned tomatoes because the ones in the shop at the moment aren’t worth buying. Freeze any leftover tomatoes and chickpeas for later use as pizza sauce or for a quick homemade hummus.

Method

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan and brown the chicken pieces. Add the garlic, spices, bay leaf and tomato paste, season and cook for a further few minutes until golden.
2. Add carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes and just enough water to cover. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini, chick peas and sultanas, cover and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Leave the lid off for the last part of the cooking time to thicken the sauce slightly.
4. To make the couscous, bring 1 cup of salted water to the boil. Turn the heat off and add the couscous, shaking the saucepan to ensure all couscous is covered with water. Put the lid on and let sit for a few minutes. Add butter to taste and fluff with a fork. Serve chicken with the couscous.

Have you read these posts?

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2. Moroccan Meatballs
3. mushroom and leek stuffed chicken breast with chardonnay sauce
4. Portuguese Style chicken drumsticks
5. chicken and sun-dried tomato pasta bake