Moroccan Baked Chicken w/Dried Apricots & Lemon

By KeyIngredient

You will want to use a small Dutch oven for this dish—one that fits the chicken fairly tightly. A larger pot may mean you need to thin the sauce slightly with more stock.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp (10 mL) ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
• 2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
• 2 tsp (10 mL) paprika
• 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
• 1 tsp (5 mL) turmeric
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 1 whole chicken
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chicken stock or water
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced dried apricots
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) grated lemon rind
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh coriander

Preparation

Step 1

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

2 Combine ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and turmeric in a small bowl. Set aside.

3 Heat oil over medium-high heat in an ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven that fits the chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

4 Add chicken, breast-side down, and fry for about 2 minutes or until chicken is rowned. Turn and brown each side; finish with browning the back. Transfer to a plate and season with salt, pepper and 1 tbsp (15 mL) spice mixture. Drain any excess oil from pot, leaving 2 tbsp (30 mL).

5 Stir in onions and sauté about 3 minutes or until softened and reduced in volume. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add remaining spice mixture and sauté until fragrant then add lemon juice, stock and dried apricots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and return chicken to pan, cover and bake for 1 hour or until chicken is almost fully cooked. Remove cover and add lemon rind to sauce. Bake 10 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear.

6 Remove chicken from pot. Stir parsley and coriander into sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary. Skim any fat.

7 Carve chicken and coat with sauce. Serve over couscous.

Serves 4