Recipes » Chicken » Chicken Mediterranean with Pomegranate

Ingredients

• 15-20 dried Black Mission figs
• 2 chickens (3 pounds each) & a breast or 2, rinsed and patted dry
• Kosher salt and pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2-3 onions, finely diced (about 2-3 cups)
• Garlic to taste, peeled and smashed
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 cups chicken stock (more if needed)
• 4 tomatoes,or 2 cans ,cored, seeded, and cut into ½ -inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley; plus another ¼ cup for garnish
• 1 cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice or more
• 1or 2 butternut squash (about 2 lbs.), peeled and diced
• Fresh Chili peppers as wanted
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• Couscous with Chickpeas &Almonds
• ½ cup or more pomegranate seeds (soak scored fruit in water for 5 minutes, let seeds sink)
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 red pepper, diced
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups couscous
• 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed
• 3 to 4 drops Tabasco or other hot sauce
•  
• Savory Lemon Garnish:
• 2 lemons, scrubbed.
• 1 tbsp. Kosher salt.
• 1 tbsp. Fresh lemon juice.

Preparation

Soak figs in ½ cup boiling water 30 min.

Cut chickens into 6-8 eight pieces each, reserving the backs for a soup or stock.

Season the chicken with salt/pepper.
Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, sauté as many chicken pieces as will fit into the pan without crowding on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat. Set aside.

Add onions, garlic, cumin, saffron, red chili pepper, and cinnamon into the pot. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Thin with fig soaking liquid if too dry.

Add the chicken broth, the figs and their liquid, tomatoes, 1 cup parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, and return the reserved chicken pieces and any accumulated juices to the pot.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover: simmer, skimming any fat or froth as necessary. After 20 minutes, add squash.

Cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the squash has softened, about another 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken and squash from the broth and set aside. Discard cinnamon.

Increase heat to medium high; stirring, reduce the broth by half or until it attains a saucy consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.

Return the chicken and squash the pot.
Adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Add remaining ¼ cup parsley.

Serve with couscous garnished with the pomegranate seeds, and lemon garnish.

Couscous:

Heat the oven to 325°F.

Toast almonds until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
In a small sauté pan, 2 tbsp. Oil, sauté red pepper until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

In a medium pan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add couscous, turn off heat, cover, and set 5 minutes.

Add the red pepper, almonds, chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, and Tabasco. Fluff with a fork. Salt to taste.
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Savory Lemon:

Remove zest with a peeler. No white.

Cut into ¼ inch strips with knife.

Boil zest for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse cold water. Change water, do it 2 more times.

Add salt and juice, let sit overnight. Rinse with cold water and use on dish.