Ep 26: Moroccan spiced chicken
Recipe Name: Moroccan Spiced Chicken with Root
Vegetables and Fried Cauliflower
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 1 hour, 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
800g baby spinach
4 free chicken breasts, skin on
100g pine nuts, toasted
50g butter
1 bunch Dutch carrots, peeled
350g sweet potato, cut into thick batons
2 tablespoons olive oil
chopped green olives and parsley, to garnish
Sauce:
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
Quarter of a teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
375ml passata
375ml chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 pinch saffron
Half a cup raisins
Chicken spice rub:
1 teaspoon mild paprika
Half a teaspoon ground coriander
Half a teaspoon cumin seeds
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
deep-fried cauliflower
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
Half a teaspoon coriander seeds
Quarter of a cauliflower, cut into florets
vegetable oil, for deep frying
Method
1. To make sauce, dry fry spices in a small frying pan over
low heat until fragrant. Grind in a pestle and mortar. Heat oil in
a medium saucepan. Cook onion and garlic until soft. Add spice
mixture. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add
passata, stock, bay leaf and saffron. Simmer, covered, for 15
minutes. Remove bay leaf. Blend until smooth. Strain through
a sieve. Return to saucepan. Add raisins. Simmer, covered, for a
further 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, heat a lightly oiled non-stick frying pan. Cook
spinach, stirring, until wilted. Cool. Squeeze out any excess
liquid. Chop finely. Combine spinach and pine nuts in a small bowl.
Season. Cut a pocket in side of chicken breasts. Stuff with spinach
mixture.
3. Preheat oven to 180C.
4. To make chicken spice rub, combine all ingredients in a
large bowl. Add chicken. Rub all over chicken.
5. Melt butter in a large frying pan. Cook chicken, skin-side
down for 7-8 minutes until skin is well coloured. Turn and continue
cooking for a further 2 minutes.
6. Pour hot sauce into a baking dish. Arrange chicken in
sauce, skin-side up in a single layer.
7. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes (depending on size of
chicken). Stand for 5 minutes. Slice chicken thickly.
8. Meanwhile, toss carrots and sweet potato with olive oil.
Place in a roasting dish. Cook, turning half way through, for 30
minutes or until tender.
9. To prepare cauliflower, grind spices in a mortar and
pestle. Season. Cook in small frying pan over low heat, until
fragrant.
10. Deep fry cauliflower in batches, until golden brown. Drain
on absorbent paper. Dust with toasted spice mixture.
11. Serve sliced chicken with roasted vegetables and
cauliflower. Garnish with olives and parsley. Drizzle with
sauce.
Tips
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, simply return sauce to a
saucepan after cooking chicken and simmer until
reduced.
- Sauce can be made up to two days in advance and will even
taste better, as the flavours will have had a chance to develop.
Refrigerate in an airtight container.
- Deep fried cauliflower would also make a great accompaniment
to a curry dish.
