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bananacake
04-01-2009, 09:31 AM
This was in the newspaper several months ago, and it's really good! I'll leave the recipe as is, and add my comments :)

Moroccan Chicken
Serves 8

This subtly spiced chicken is superb served atop couscous with sliced almonds, mint, and cilantro. (I served it with Sweet Potatoes & Apples, http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/mb/index.php?topic=159936.0, and salad)

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 pounds), trimmed of fat and membrane and pounded to an even ½-inch thickness
Kosher salt and pepper

1 cup black Kalamata olives, for garnishing
1 well-washed lemon, thinly sliced, for garnishing

Place ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, cumin, ginger, turmeric, paprika, and cinnamon in a large bowl or a resealable plastic bag and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix again. You can cover or seal and refrigerate the marinating chicken for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days before cooking. Or you can freeze it (in which case, skip the step of marinating in the refrigerator) for up to 2 months. To thaw, simply leave the chicken-marinade mixture in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. (I froze this in baggies, and it worked out really well)

Discard the marinade. Dry chicken pieces. Sprinkle the chicken all over with 1½ teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. (I skipped this step all together and dumped the chicken straight from the baggie into a cast-iron pan with olive oil)

Place a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken breasts, skinned side down, one at a time, allowing the pan to reheat about 30 seconds between additions. Cook until the chicken is deeply browned and the juices run clear, 3 to 5 minutes per side. You will probably need to cook the chicken in 2 batches.

Serve immediately, garnished with olives and lemon slices.

The olives are a great addition!

CapeTownMommy
05-05-2009, 10:08 PM
This sounds yummy!!