Spice up your meal with this interesting dish with a Spanish- African vibe. Make sure you use less white meat. The parts near the bone give off more flavour. I added other variations of this recipe, so that you can recreate it over and over again and not get bored with it.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into 8 pieces (or 3-4 lbs of just chicken thighs and legs)
Salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup green olives, pitted
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup mint leaves (divided-chopped and whole)
4 cups chicken stock
In a bowl, combine all the spices. Make sure the chicken is dry and coat well with the spice mixture. Set aside for an hour, so that the chicken can absorb the flavour.
In a large high-sided pan, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic and onion for 2 minutes. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 5 to 10 minutes per side or until the skin is brown. Pour the 2 cups of chicken stock, boil and then cover. Reduce the heat and let the stock simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chopped mint and the sliced or chopped olives. Continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and reduce the sauce 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add additional salt, if desired.
In a medium saucepan, boil the 2 cups of chicken stock. Mix in the couscous and put a dash of salt; cover for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Serve the couscous on a platter with the chicken on top. Spoon the sauce over it and garnish with the whole mint leaves.
*Other variations:
For an Italian flavour, substitute 2 teaspoons minced garlic for the cumin. Use 2 tablespoons chopped basil instead of mint and add one tablespoon tomato paste to the chicken stock. Serve over linguini and garnish with basil leaves.
For an Indian taste, remove the olives and replace the cumin with 2 teaspoons of curry. Add a cinnamon stick to the chicken stock and serve with basmati rice.
For a Chinese feel, eliminate the olives and mint and use 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger instead of cumin. Add 1 teaspoon sesame oil to the olive oil before adding the chicken thighs to the pan. After reducing the sauce 3 to 5 minutes, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste. Serve with rice or Asian noodles.
Photo Courtesy Of: Rubber slippers in Italy