North African Chicken And Couscous

Total Time: 1 hr 34 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 4 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 large onions (sliced)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup chickpeas (cooked)
• 1 cup golden raisin (soaked)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 5 tablespoons butter (clarified, a.k.a. samna)
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 6 chicken breasts (boneless)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 4 cups couscous (uncooked)
• 2 cups water (lightly salted, boiling)
• salt (to taste)

Recipe

• 1 in a large sauce pan, add olive oil and saute onions until caramelized on low heat for about 8-10 minutes stirring frequently.
• 2 add cumin and sugar and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes stirring on low. (do not let sugar burn).
• 3 cut chicken pieces into bite sized pieces.
• 4 add stock, chickpeas, raisins, saffron, cinnamon, chicken and bring to a light boil, then cover, reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes stirring frequently.
• 5 meanwhile, pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees f. line a jelly roll pan with baking parchment paper, toast the almonds with the clarified butter drizzled over them for about 10-15 minutes in a 350 degree f oven and set aside.
• 6 stir couscous into boiling water, remove from heat and cover tightly, let stand for 8 minutes.
• 7 uncover and fluff with a fork.
• 8 serve with couscous on bottom, then chicken mixture and top with toasted almonds.
• 9 enjoy!