A great recipe to explore Middle Eastern spices and cuisine. The nutty flavor of the lentils goes so well with the sweetness of the apricots and oranges.
Moroccan chicken with lentils (serves 4)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cumin, ground
1 tbsp coriander, ground
1 tsp cardamom, ground
a pinch of nutmeg
sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 chicken breasts, bone in and skin kept on
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
750 ml (3 cups) chicken stock
16 dried apricots, soaked in water for 10 minutes
2 oranges, peeled and filleted
16 green olives, pitted
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
200g (1 1/4 cup) dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
Mix 2 tbsp olive oil, cumin, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a small bowl. And then smear the spice mixture under the skin of the chicken breast as evenly as possible. Reserve any excess mixture.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large non-stick pan (or tagine) over medium-high heat and brown the chicken, skin side down, for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Next, in the same pan, cook the onion and garlic with 1/2 cup chicken stock until translucent. Add the chicken, skin side up, the apricots, olives and orange segments and any excess spice mixture. Turn the heat on low, cover and cook for 30 to 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the lentils in a medium saucepan over high heat with 2 cups chicken stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes. Add some more chicken stock if required.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the breasts from the pan, slice and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the cooked lentils together with the remaining chicken stock to the pan and mix through with the apricots, olives and oranges. Season with the cinnamon and stir through the parsley. Serve the lentil mixture topped with the sliced chicken.
