After experimenting with a new Moroccan Chicken recipe the family requested I make the “original” version that dates back to the early days of Madison House Chef. Knowing that I wanted to blog the recipe I went in search of my original copy.
However, I couldn’t remember it’s original source. A website? A newspaper clipping? A cookbook?
What to do??
I looked for quite a while this evening, but to no avail. But, I made it anyway! Really, I’ve made this dozens upon dozens of times and I suppose it’s been long committed to memory and thus the written directions were long gone. This then is a capture of what I made this evening for supper and by golly it was DELICIOUS.
I suppose then, whether this was the original or my modified version based on tinkering and family preferences it’s now the MHC Original Moroccan Style Chicken.
Often it’s served with long grain rice, or better yet Jasmine rice, but since we’re on a lentils kick we used lentils instead and they were wonderful.
As the table was cleared after our family meal, I immediately made Ken’s lunch for tomorrow – Chicken and Lentils.
MOROCCAN STYLE CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
1 jalapeno, chopped fine (or a can of diced chilies)
1 large onion, chopped
16 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cardamom
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 C powdered sugar
1 T olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Cut chicken, pepper, onion and mushrooms.
In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine salt, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and powdered sugar.
AP flour can be added here to stretch the seasoning if needed.
Place large cut pieces of chicken into the Ziploc and seal. Shake the bag until chicken is coated with seasoning.
Heat large frying pan to medium high and add olive oil.
I use my 14” Calphalon.
Add coated chicken to the pan and begin to cook.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 220 degrees. When the oven indicates it has come to temperature (mine beeps) – turn it off. This oven setting is intended to keep a little bit of heat in the oven in order to ‘hold’ the chicken and keep it warm until until it ready for serving. The oven should be hot enough to keep the chicken warm but not too hot that it would overcook or dry out the chicken.
When the chicken is cooked through, turn temperature down to low and transfer it to an oven safe dish. Do not turn the pan off.
Place chicken in oven.
Next, add onion and jalapeno to pan. Stir to cover with seasoning that remains in the pan and saute’ for 2 or 3 minutes.
I seem to remember that in the original recipe, more oil was added during this step. This makes sense in that by now the pan is getting dry and the sugar is even caramelizing. However… in the interest of low fat cooking, I don’t add oil, but instead deglaze the pan with stock or water.
Add approximately 1/2 – 3/4 C water to the pan to deglaze the bottom of the pan and to begin to create a sauce.
Cook an additional 3 minutes until onion soften.
Add mushrooms. Stir to combine. Scrap any ‘yummy pieces’ off of the bottom of the pan to incorporate them into the juices/sauce.
When sauce thickens and mushrooms are softening add lentils or rice.
Remove from heat.
Pour lentils and veg into a serving bowl or serving platter.
Add the chicken to the platter.
~Enjoy!
