MOROCCAN CHICKEN

Moroccan cuisine often includes healthy vegetables and meat which are flavoured with aromatic spices including Harissa and Ras al Hanout which is a spice blend used widely in Morocco and other North African countries.  Chickpeas, nuts and dried fruit are sometimes added to dishes and fresh herbs are widely used.   There are many recipes but we are making a simple tasty dish which you can adapt to your own liking.


A selection of vegetables for roasting:
(We used carrots, pepper, potato, parsnip,  courgette)
Any cooked vegetables you may have in the fridge (we added some green beans) optional
1 clove of garlic
Fresh thyme leaves
Olive oil
Chicken breast fillets (cut into thin slices)
Flour
Moroccan Spice blend powder (Rasal Hanout/Harissa)
125g Couscous
200mls Stock (chicken or vegetable), boiling
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp of Harissa Paste
Fresh chopped herbs (coriander/parsley), large handful



Turn on the oven to 200c
Peel and chop the vegetables into chunks (mouth size pieces) and toss together in a bowl with the finely chopped garlic and a splash of olive oil.  Add some salt and pepper and some thyme leaves and mix up well.  Put  the vegetables in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes then turn the vegetables and roast for a further 15 minutes adding any cooked vegetables you may want to include for the last 5 minutes.  

Meanwhile toss the chicken breast fillets in a mixture of plain flour and Moroccan spice blend (about 2 tbs flour to 1 tbs of spices for 4 small chicken breasts) and add extra salt and pepper.  Fry the chicken in a hot pan with a little olive oil, turning occasionally until cooked through and nicely browned.

Make the couscous.  Put the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling stock Harissa and lemon juice.  Cover and leave to soak for 10 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed then fluff up with a fork and add some fresh herbs. You could add some dried fruit or nuts or chickpeas if you want to.
Serve the vegetables and couscous together with chicken on the side.













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