Spiced Chicken with Lebanese (Moghrabieh) Couscous
Description
This chicken dish is prepared with Lebanese spices and couscous in just one pot. The chicken turns out moist and tender and is served with pearl onions and cremini mushrooms in a butter and white wine sauce.
Ingredients
Shawarma Spice: (Makes 1/2 c.)
1 T. sea salt
1 T. ground white pepper
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. ground coriander
1½ t. ground cardamom
1½ t. ground ginger
1½ t. garlic powder
Chicken:
3 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
3 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
2½ t. shawarma spice, divided
12 T. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, divided
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. pearl onions, peeled
1½ t. sea salt, divided
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered
1½ c. white wine
1/2 t. ground white pepper
1 c. chicken stock/broth
1/4 c. fresh thyme leaves
2 T. fresh rosemary leaves, minced
2 T. fresh sage leaves, minced
2 T. shallots, minced
2 T. unbleached, all-purpose flour or cornstarch
Couscous:
2 c. Lebanese couscous or Israeli couscous or regular couscous, if Lebanese couscous can't be found*
1 t. sea salt, divided
4 T. unsalted butter
1 t. shawarma spice
1 c. chicken stock/broth
Directions
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Shawarma Spice:
In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cardamom, ginger and garlic powder; stir well; set aside.
Chicken:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels; place on a large baking sheet. Generously season both sides of the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the shawarma spice.
Melt 3 T. butter with olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it starts shimmering, add chicken; sear in small batches for 4 - 5 minutes per side, until crisp and golden brown. Searing the chicken first seals in all the natural juices before braising it with aromatics and herbs. Transfer the chicken to a plate/platter.
In the same pot, melt 3 more T. butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is shimmering, add the pearl onions; season with 1/2 t. salt; cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Transfer the onions to a plate/platter.
Melt 3 T. butter in the same pot until shimmering. Add mushrooms; season with 1/2 t. salt; cook, tossing occasionally, until slightly softened but still maintain their shape. Return onions and chicken to the pan.
With the heat still on medium-high, pour the white wine into the pan; deglaze, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season with the remaining 1/2 t. salt and white pepper; allow wine to cook off for just a few minutes.
Add half of the thyme, half of the rosemary, half of the sage and all of the shallots; stir thoroughly. Stir in the chicken stock/broth; bring to a boil; turn off the heat; cover the pot; transfer to the center rack of the preheated oven. Braise 30 - 35 minutes.
When chicken has cooked through, the thickest part of the breast should register 160°F, and the juices should run clear, remove it from the oven. Transfer chicken, onions and mushrooms to a serving platter; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Strain the pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve; pour back into the pot.
In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 c. cold water with the flour or cornstarch until smooth; stir into the strained pan juices. Heat the mixture over high heat, stirring continuously, until it begins to thicken. Finish by stirring in the remaining 3 T. butter and the remaining 1/2 t. shawarma spice. Cook for another few minutes, until the sauce is smooth and shiny. Turn off the heat.
Couscous:
In a large pot, bring 8 c. water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat; season with 1/2 t. sea salt. When water is boiling, stir in the couscous; cook, uncovered, 10 - 12 minutes until the grains have swelled, doubled in size and are cooked through. Drain the couscous.
Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat until shimmering; add couscous to the pan with the butter; toss for a few minutes, coating completely. Season with the remaining 1/2 t. sea salt and 1 t. shawarma spice; thoroughly stir. Pour in the chicken stock/broth; simmer, uncovered, 5 - 7 minutes so that the couscous absorbs the majority of the chicken stock/broth. Remove from the heat; let rest for a few minutes.
Serving:
Spoon the couscous onto a large serving platter; layer the chicken on top; surround with mushrooms and onions. Spoon the sauce on top; sprinkle with remaining thyme, rosemary and sage.
Serve immediately.
6 servings.
*If swapping to regular couscous, the cooking method will be different, and it should be prepared according to the package directions.