Moroccan Chicken & Tomato Stew
This is similar to a recipe I have posted before from Bon Appetit. I have added a few extra spices and pulled the chicken from the bones along with adding red peppers and diced tomatoes. It's basically a crossover between Shakshuka and Harissa Roasted Chicken Thighs. I like it because of the Ras El Hanout flavor and I've already done the work pulling the chicken from the bones, so it's simple to eat.
Moroccan Chicken & Tomato Stew
Serves 4
4-6 bone in, skin off chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ras el hanout
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed
¼ cup harissa paste (more to taste)
½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 Lemon
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Lemon wedges, bread, greek yogurt for serving
1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed sauce pan. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and sear on both sides over high heat. Remove to plate.
2. Turn heat down to medium/low. Add onions, ras el hanout and cumin, cooking until onions are soft and spices are fragrant. About 5-7 minutes.
3. Add in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 30 seconds to one minute, stirring constantly. Return heat to high and immediately add in tomatoes, bell pepper, harissa paste and chicken broth, stirring until incorporated. If it seems like you need a little more liquid, add in a bit more chicken stock if you have some on hand. If not, a little bit of water will be okay. Add in chickpeas, stir carefully.
4. Nestle chicken thighs into tomato mixture, squeeze 1/2 lemon over the top bring to a boil and cover. reduce heat to low and simmer about 20-30 minutes until chicken is tender and pulls from bone easily.
5. Remove chicken from pot with tongs. Pull from bone and shred, add back into the pot and stir carefully so as not to destroy the tender chickpeas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over hot long grain rice such as jasmine or basmati. Garnish w/ chopped flat leaf parsley, lemon wedges and greek yogurt.