The flavors in this dish are so wonderful you would think that the recipe would be far more complicated and that the dish would take a lot longer to cook. It turns out that neither is the case and that this dish can easily be made on a weeknight.
The Moroccan flavors come from ras el hanout. Translated from Arabic this means ‘head of the shop’ where the mixture is made with the best spices available. This spice mixture generally includes cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, black pepper and allspice among other spices. I found New York Shuk’s take on ras el hanout at Wegmans. It includes coriander seeds, ginger, clove, black cardamom, turmeric among other spices. If you’re not able to find it already made, you can try your hand at making it yourself as there are many recipes to be found for it. You can search for it and find one that appeals to you and that has spices you may already have in your spice cabinet (or drawer in my case).
Another unique ingredient that you may not have on hand is pomegranate molasses. It is pomegranate juice that has been cooked down into a syrupy form. Sometimes sugar is added and even if it is, it’s not very sweet. It’s more tart and tangy. Paired with the lemon juice it provides just the right amount of acid. I’ll admit to having bought it years ago and using it for one recipe before finally discarding it. I bought a new bottle for this recipe and have a goal to use it more often. Like the spice blend, I found it at my local Wegmans. If you’re like me, you might need a bit of inspiration to use up that bottle. Check out The Kitchn’s 5 Ways to Use Pomegranate Molasses.
This recipe serves four. Since I was only cooking for two, I put the remaining half of the dish in a ziplock bag and froze it laid out flat. I reheated it (straight from the freezer) in a water bath using my sous vide machine for an even easier weeknight meal. You could also defrost it and reheat it in the oven in a dish covered in aluminum foil for about 20 minutes at 350°F.
While this dish is perfect for a weeknight, you could also serve it at a dinner party. I bet a guest or two would ask for the recipe.
| Moroccan Chicken and Chickpeas | Print |
- 3 teaspoons ras el hanout, divided (see Notes)
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (8 total)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, divided
- ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (~ 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon of ras el hanout, 2 teaspoons Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, then sprinkle onto the chicken.
- In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until barely smoking. Add the chicken and cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. You may need to do this in two batches.
- Set the skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and remaining 2 teaspoons ras el hanout. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn either the ras el hangout or garlic.
- Stir in the sherry and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
- Stir in the apricots and chickpeas, then nestle in the chicken, browned sides up, and any accumulated juices. Cover, reduce to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the chicken meets no resistance (about 170°F).
- Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Set the skillet over medium-high and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick enough that a spoon drawn through it leaves a trail, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken back into the skillet and sprinkle with cilantro. (You can also transfer the chicken to a platter, pour the sauce over it and sprinkle with cilantro.)
Source: Variation on a recipe from Milk Street
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