When we were traveling to New Zealand, we signed up for a wine tour of the region. For lunch, we stopped at a restaurant and served Moroccan chicken and date couscous. I came home with the intent of finding the recipe for this dish and this one, found on Food & Wine. come, comes very close. The sweetness of the mint and dates blend perfectly with the spices in the rub.
Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh mint plus 2 additional Tablespoons, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil
One 4-pound chicken, cut up or use your favorite piece of chicken. I made this with chicken quarters.
1 cup chicken broth
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup sliver almonds
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine 2 Tablespoon of the mint with the garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and 1 Tablespoon kosher salt. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil and rub the mixture all over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400F. In large ovenproof skillet, heat remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken to add, skin side down and cook over moderately high heat until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast chicken for about 30 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a platter, cover and keep warm.
Pour the pan juices into a heatproof cup and skim off as much fat a possible. Set the skillet over high heat and add the chicken broth. Cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the pan drippings and season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
In medium saucepan, bring one cup of water to boil. Add pinch of salt. Add couscous and dates, cover and let stand with heat turned off until the couscous is tender and the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in almonds and remaining 1/4 cup of chopped mint.
To serve, scoop the couscous onto plates and top with chicken. Spoon the pan sauce all around and serve right away.