Name: Spiced Chicken and Couscous with Crispy Chicken Skins
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 4 teaspoons paprika; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; Kosher salt and pepper; ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon ground ginger; 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed; 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided; 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes; ⅓ cup plus ⅓ cup prunes, chopped coarse, divided; ¼ cup plus ⅓ cup pitted green olives, sliced, divided; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 onion, chopped fine; 1½ cups chicken broth; 1½ cups couscous; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 cup chopped fresh parsley; lemon wedges

Spiced Chicken and Couscous with Crispy Chicken Skins

By Tim Chin

Published on March 14, 2017

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Spiced Chicken and Couscous with Crispy Chicken Skins

Ingredients

4 teaspoons paprika 1 tablespoon ground cumin Kosher salt and pepper ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes ⅓ cup plus ⅓ cup prunes, chopped coarse, divided¼ cup plus ⅓ cup pitted green olives, sliced, divided4 garlic cloves, peeled1 onion, chopped fine1½ cups chicken broth 1½ cups couscous 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup chopped fresh parsley lemon wedges

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C. Whisk paprika, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, and ginger together in small bowl. Set aside ½ teaspoon spice mixture.

Using your fingers, remove skin from chicken; brush both sides of skin with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and place in single layer on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place second sheet of parchment on top of skins and flatten with hands. Place second rimmed baking sheet on top so that parchment and skins are sandwiched between baking sheets. Bake until skins are uniformly brown and crisp, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Carefully remove top baking sheet and discard top parchment sheet. Sprinkle skins with reserved spice mixture and season with salt to taste. Once cool enough to handle, break skins into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, process olive oil, tomatoes, ⅓ cup prunes, ¼ cup olives, garlic, and remaining spice mixture in food processor until smooth paste forms, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer ¼ cup paste to bowl with chicken and toss to coat. Transfer ½ cup paste to small bowl and remaining paste to second small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in ½ cup paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits, and place chicken, skinned side down, in pot. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until chicken registers 175 degrees F/79 degrees C, 20 to 25 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Transfer chicken to bowl, cover loosely with foil, and set aside. Stir couscous, ⅓ cup prunes, and ⅓ cup olives into pot. Cover pot, remove from heat, and let stand until couscous is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer couscous to serving platter and place chicken on top. Dollop remaining paste over platter and sprinkle with parsley and crispy chicken skins. Serve with lemon wedges.