Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

north african chicken thighs with dates & pomegran

Recipe by
Francine Lizotte
Surrey South, BC

Amazingly flavorful, this is an unbelievable chicken dish you have to try to truly appreciate it.

yield 6 servings
prep time 20 Min
cook time 2 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For north african chicken thighs with dates & pomegran

  • CHICKEN THIGHS
  • 1/4 c
    slivered almonds
  • 6 lg
    chicken thighs
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste (i always use mixed peppercorns)
  • ground himalayan sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp
    clarified butter
  • 2 c
    white onions, diced
  • 3/4 c
    carrots, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 c
    celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 lg
    roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 2 Tbsp
    ras el hanout
  • 1 tsp
    ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp
    cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 4 lg
    cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 Tbsp
    fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 1 c
    low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 c
    pomegranate molasses
  • 3/4 c
    dates, pitted and quartered (about 20 dates)
  • 2 tsp
    cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp
    butter
  • fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
  • 1/2 c
    plain yogurt, as a side
  • COUSCOUS
  • 1 1/2 c
    low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/8 tsp
    ground himalayan sea salt
  • 1 c
    couscous, medium grind

How To Make north african chicken thighs with dates & pomegran

  • 1
    In a small sautépan, add almonds and sauté until golden; set aside. Season chicken thighs with black pepper and ground sea salt; set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and clarified butter. When hot, place thighs (skin down first) and sauté about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and remove most of the fat in the pan, keeping only 1 tbsp. Add the trinity and sauté for 5 minutes. Add chopped tomato and sauté for 3 minutes. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • 2
    Add Ras el-Hanout, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger; sauté for 1 ½ minutes. Pour chicken broth and pomegranate molasses; cook for 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed by adding freshly ground black pepper. Add dates and sauté for 2 minutes. Place thighs back to the pan, skin up, cover and transfer into the preheated oven for 1:30 hours, basting every 20 minutes.
  • 3
    15 minutes before the end of cooking, start boiling the chicken broth (1 ½ cups) for the couscous and add a pinch sea salt. When boiling, add couscous (1 cup), stir, cover and remove from the heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes; fluff before serving.
  • 4
    Remove the saucepan and transfer chicken thighs onto a serving plate. Add cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. Add butter to make the sauce shiny. Place chicken over couscous and spoon sauce over. Sprinkle almonds and parsley and serve with plain yogurt on the side. Serve 4 to 6 servings
  • 5
    To view this recipe on YouTube, click on this link >>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P6mJMuQtKA
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