Moroccan Chicken and Rice with Dates & Olives
A flavorful dish of Moroccan Chicken and Rice with Dates & Olives, rich in spices and textures.
Equipment
- oven
- high sided skillet
- microplane
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 cloves garlic, minced use a microplane if you have one
- 1 lemon zest reserve the lemon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 large or 8 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or one chicken, cut into 8 pieces
For the Rice
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts or roughly chopped pistachios or a combination
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed until the water runs clear
- 6 dates, pitted and diced
- 12-16 kalamata olives, pitted and diced
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth / stock
- 1 pinch saffron optional
- lemon juice
- preserved lemon thinly sliced, or lemon zest
- chopped parsley, mint or a combination
Instructions
Preparation
- In a dish large enough to fit the chicken, mix together the minced garlic, lemon zest, sea salt, paprika, cumin, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and the olive oil. Add the chicken to the dish and rub all over with the spice paste. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large (10-inch) high sided skillet, heat the ¼ cup olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the nuts and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
- Raise the heat to medium and add the onion and salt. Sauté until golden brown and slightly softened, stirring occasionally, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the cumin and the rice, stirring to get it coated with the oil and get a little toasty, about one minute.
- Add the dates, olives, broth and saffron, if using. Bring to a simmer.
- Nestle in the chicken, so the skin is facing up and above the broth.
- Carefully transfer to the preheated oven and roast for 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165°F and the liquid has all been absorbed.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes and then squeeze in the lemon juice, and garnish with the preserved lemon, toasted nuts and fresh herbs.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 600kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 40gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 800mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 500IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 3mg
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