Oven-Roasted Moroccan Chicken
DAIRY
FREE
NUT
FREE
PALEO
DIET
Citrusy lemon and cilantro blend well with sweet-smelling spices to create a chermoula, a Moroccan marinade, that makes this roasted chicken dish succulent and aromatic.
Prep Time 20 minutes + 4 hours marinate time |
Cook Time 60 minutes |
Makes 4 leg quarters |
Serving Size 1 leg quarter |
INGREDIENTS
1 small yellow onion, diced (½ cup)
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup tomato purée
¼ cup lemon juice
2 TB. ghee or animal fat
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 TB. paprika
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground turmeric
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken leg quarters (about 2 lb.; 1kg)
METHOD
1 In a large bowl, whisk together yellow onion, garlic, tomato purée, lemon juice, ghee, cilantro, paprika, sea salt, ginger, black pepper, cumin, and turmeric.
2 Add chicken leg quarters, and coat with spice mix marinade. Cover the bowl tightly with lid, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Because the raw chicken was sitting in the marinade, do not reuse it at the table as a sauce. Doing so increases the risk of food-borne illness. Instead, double the marinade recipe, set aside half of it, and use it as a condiment.
3 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove chicken leg quarters from marinade, and place skin side up and spaced equally apart in a 9×13-inch (23×33cm) glass baking dish.
4 Bake on the middle oven rack for 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through or it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) and juice runs clear.
Arrange quarters in a dish for even cooking
Side Dish
Moroccan Cauliflower “Couscous”
INGREDIENTS
1 medium head cauliflower, stemmed, cored, grated (4 cups)
4 TB. ghee or animal fat
¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup unsweetened dried raisins
¼ cup slivered almonds
3 TB. fresh orange juice
2 tsp. orange zest
1 cup homemade chicken stock
1 TB. Ras el Hanout
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
METHOD
1 In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine ghee or animal fat, scallions, garlic, raisins, almonds, orange juice, orange zest, chicken stock, grated cauliflower, Ras el Hanout, sea salt, and apple cider vinegar.
2 Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 minutes. Uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 or 2 more minutes or until liquid is cooked away. (Makes 4½ cups.)
Oven-Roasted Moroccan Chicken
3.85.224.214