Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken

I have been wanting a slow cooker for over a year and finally decided that it was time to take the plunge and make that happen. I was so excited when the UPS truck showed up at my house with my new slow cooker. I immediately opened it up and checked it out, then found a home for it in my basement on one of my metro racks. I have never used a slow cooker, so I had no idea what to make first. My mom, who is so thoughtful sent me a couple of cooking magazines and I got inspired by a dish I saw in one of them and came up with this delicious Moroccan Chicken recipe. I have read many reviews on slow cooking chicken, and thigh meat turns out the best due to the amount of fat it has, as breast meat will get too dry when it’s cooked too long. As a base for this dish I made a yummy couscous which I made last as a side dish with Moroccan Tagine Chicken.

Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken

12 Chicken Thighs
2 Onions, coarsely chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 14-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
5 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
12 Ounce Jar Mango Chutney
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Yellow Curry Powder
1 Tablespoon Garam Masala
2 Teaspoons Sweet Paprika
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper
Vegetable Oil

Garnish

1 Granny Smith Apple, diced
1 Mango, diced
½ Cup Sliced Almonds, toasted
1 Cup Coconut, toasted
2 Tablespoons Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a very large skillet, over medium high heat add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 10 minutes, remove to a plate. When chicken has cooled slightly, remove the skin and discard. Place the chicken into the slow cooker insert.
Remove all but 1 Tablespoon fat from the skillet and return to medium high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are soft. Add the broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chutney, garlic, curry powder, garam masala, paprika, thyme, and cayenne. Pour mixture into the slow cooker, turning chicken to coat in the sauce.
Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 4 hours. Turn off slow cooker, stir sauce, replace lid and let stand for about 15 minutes to thicken sauce.
Serve over couscous or rice and garnish with the apple, mango, parsley, almonds, and toasted coconut.

Couscous with Currants & Almonds

I don't make couscous that often but always enjoy it when I do. I made this as part of my Moroccan themed meal last week, and enjoyed every bite! I loved the texture that the almonds lent to the dish and the sweetness of the currants. This is such an easy dish to prepare, the couscous cooks in just a few minutes, so it’s a perfect side dish you could throw together last minute.

Couscous with Currants & Almonds

2 Cups Instant Couscous
4 Cups Chicken Stock
½ Cup Currants
¼ Cup Sliced Almonds
¼ Cup Parsley, chopped

Boil chicken stock, add couscous and currants, remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and add the almonds and parsley, serve hot or at room temperature.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

I saw Bobby Flay make this recipe on the Food Network and had to make it for dinner. The chicken smelled absolutely wonderful and tasted even better. I was unable to find the spice Ras Al-hanut at the grocery but found a recipe online which is below. I have also attached the following information that I found out about the spice, very of interesting if you ask me!
Ras al-hanut, literally "head of the shop" or "best of the shop" is a complex spice blend used in Moroccan cooking, but also found in a similar version in Algeria and a somewhat different one in Tunisia. Spice shops employ experts who concoct the mixture, using up to twenty-seven different spices. But measuring is quite inaccurate because the spices themselves can vary in intensity and flavor depending on how old they are or where they came from.
I ended up serving a carrot salad and couscous with the chicken, which were also recipes from Bobby Flay, I will be posting these soon as they were really delicious too!

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
8 Chicken Thighs
Salt & Pepper
1 Large Yellow Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Ras Al-hanut*
Large Pinch Saffron, soaked in ¼ cup hot water
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 15-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes, drained
1 15-Ounce Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¾ Cup Dried Apricots, sliced
1 Cup Chicken Stock
Chopped Parsley, for garnish

Heat oil in a large dutch oven or a tagine over high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place into pan skin side down until browned, then turn over and cook for an additional 2 minutes, remove and set aside.
With heat over medium heat, add onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the ras al-hanut and cook another 30 seconds. Add the saffron with the soaking liquid, cinnamon stick, tomatoes, chickpeas, apricots, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken into the mixture and bring to a simmer. Cover and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for one hour, or until chicken is tender. Garnish with chopped parsley and a dollop of Harissa Sauce.

Harissa Sauce

½ Cup Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon Siracha

Mix together and serve.

Ras Al-hanut

2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Turmeric
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon Cardamom
¼ Teaspoon Cloves

Mix together well and store in a spice jar, makes approximately 2 tablespoons.