Moroccan Chicken Stew

Categories: August2012, Chicken, Chickpeas, Lentils, Mediteranean, Stews

Ingredients

• 1 large white onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1tsp cumin, 1tsp cinnamon
• Zest of half a lemon
• 4 – 6 chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup dried red lentils
• 1 can of chick peas (garbanzo beans)
• Vegetable stock cube the juice of a lemon and water to cover (about a cup to a cup and a half)
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Chop up the large onion into a dice. Tip it into a saucepan and add a tablespoon of light olive oil. Cook on a low heat for five minutes. You want to onion to soften and go golden but not to burn.

2. Now for the flavorings; chop or grate the garlic into the pan, then add 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of cinnamon and the grated lemon zest. Toss them in the hot oil for a minute to cook out some of the raw powdery taste. Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.

3. Add the chicken pieces. Turn in the hot spicy oil for a few minutes until they take on some color.

4. Pour in some red lentils – I put in a palm full per person, which I measured to be about ¼ cup total.

5. Drain the chick peas in their can, do not rinse, and add them in too.

6. Give everything a good stir.

7. Drop in the stock cube (you can use a chicken stock cube if you prefer, or use a cup and a half of stock from a box) Squeeze in the lemon, then add enough water to just cover the chicken – about a cup to a cup and a ½ depending on how deep and wide your pan is.

8. Put the lid on and let the stew bubble gently for 30 – 40 mins on the stove top, or put in the oven at 300 for about 30 mins. If you have time in hand, then put the stew in the oven at 250 and leave it for a couple of hours, checking the liquid level occasionally – you might have to add a little more. Conversely, if the stew looks too runny, increase the heat, take the lid off and boil some water away.

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