Another recipe from Fitness Food tonight — seems like every recipe we’ve made from this book is a winner. This time, chicken drumsticks are slowly simmered in a tomato and chicken broth-based sauce and served over couscous with chickpeas, green onions, and cilantro. It was a nice departure from the ever-present chicken breasts we usually cook with.
Lisa says:
Yay, we get to be cavemen!
Chris says:
What do you mean?
Lisa says:
The chicken is on the bone.
Chris says:
Ahhh… I get ya. Did you ever go for the giant turkey drumsticks at state fairs?
Lisa says:
Uh, no. The last thing I’d want to do is stand around in public ripping meat off a bone with my teeth.
Chris says:
But this…
Lisa says:
…THIS is different. This is delicious, and I can use a fork. And I can’t get enough of the sauce. Such a good flavor!
Chris says:
Agreed — and the recipe made a TON of couscous. Those four servings are mighty generous.
Lisa says:
I really like the couscous. It would go well with a lot of dishes, especially those that have a bunch of sauce to soak up.
Moroccan Chicken and Couscous
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1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili flakes
8 skinless chicken drumsticks
3 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, grated
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 green onions
10 oz couscous
14 oz can chickpeas
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
In a small frying pan over medium heat, place the cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and chili flakes and dry roast for about a minute until fragrant. Grind using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Sprinkle the chicken drumsticks with the spice blend, rubbing in well. In a large, deep, frying pan, heat 2 tsp of the oil. Add the chicken and cook for 8 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining oil and over medium heat cook the onion, garlic, and ginger for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, and the chicken to the pan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce is reduced. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, to prepare the couscous, boil the chicken broth and garlic in a small saucepan. Put the couscous in a glass bowl, cover with the boiling chicken broth, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 minutes. Chop the green onions, and rinse and drain the chickpeas. Stir the couscous with a fork, and add the green onions, chickpeas, and cilantro.
Serve on a platter topped with the chicken and sauce.
4 Servings