African Chicken Stew
photo by Lavender Lynn
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 22
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
-
Tunisian Sauce (Tunisian pesto sauce makes 1 C)
- 2 cups packed fresh cilantro (leaves and a few stems)
- 1 cup packed fresh parsley (leaves and a few stems)
- 1⁄4 cup almonds
- 1 -2 garlic clove
- 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
-
Stew
- 1 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked couscous
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, quartered (about 1 1/4 lbs)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked
- 2 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 small red onion, halved and sliced
- 1 2⁄3 cups chicken broth
- 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon, zest of, grated
- 1⁄3 cup tunisian pesto sauce (you can reserve the rest by freezing)
directions
-
Tunisian Pesto:
- Combine the cilantro, parsley, almonds and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add about 1/3 cup of the oil and process until completely mixed in and smooth. Add the salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper (if using). *If using immediately, add the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. If freezing, transfer the pesto to an airtight container and pour the remaining oil on top. You can freeze this for 3 months.
-
Stew:
- Bring the 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to boil in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in the couscous, 1 t. of the salt, and pepper to taste. Cover, take off the heat and set aside while you make the stew.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large dutch oven (or big soup pot) over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the remaining salt, cumin, paprika and pepper to taste. Add the chicken to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over - about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots, onion, the 1 2/3 Cups chicken broth, vinegar and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a brisk simmer, cover and cook just until the chicken is firm to the touch and the carrots are tender - about 8 minutes or so.
- Stir the pesto into the stew. Fluff the couscous with a fork and mound it in 4 soup bowls. Spoon some chicken stew over each portion and serve!
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Reviews
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This is absolutely delicious. The flavors blending together are so wonderful. The Tunisian Pesto sauce puts the whole recipe over the top. So different from anything we usually eat. The only thing I ran into was need to cook longer than 8 minutes, our carrots weren't done and our chicken was not tender at all yet.
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Yum! You've got another winner here, LIG! I used homemade chicken stock, hot smoked Spanish paprika, and just to be different, threw in a handful of sliced okra (for a half recipe). I wanted to dive into the pot while this was cooking; because the paprika and cumin just smelled so good! With the addition of the lemon zest, it just went over the top. The only downside (which I'll call operator error for messy measuring) was that I had a bit too much liquid when it was done cooking. To compensate, I added a cornstarch slurry to thicken things up. Overall, a wonderful dish, and easy enough to make on a weeknight. This is going on the short list of go-to recipes. Thanks so much for posting!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
LifeIsGood
United States
Hello! I have a wonderful husband and two fantastic kids. I love to read, have fun with family and friends, stay active with: running; soccer; golf; biking; hiking; and gardening. I love to travel. I'm looking forward to more international travel someday. Cooking has become a passion for me. I love to read cookbooks, watch the Food Network, and try new recipes. I have way too many cookbooks! A few of my favorites are: Barefoot Contessa (any - but especially 'Family Style'),Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2, Roasting by Barbara Kafka, Beyond Parsley & The Black Dog Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook. I try to carefully choose recipes that I think my family will enjoy, which is why most of my ratings are 3-5 stars. Happy cooking!