Moroccan Chicken with Cauliflower Pilaf

Tender, succulant chicken thighs with warm Moroccan spices, preserved lemons and cauliflower rice pilaf. Preserved lemons pickled in lemon juice and sea salt, adding a wonderful complexity to any dish, are a pantry staple of North African cuisine and have a unique lemon flavour without any of the bitter, tart characteristics of fresh lemons. Cauliflower rice pilaf is a low carb version of a rice pilaf made with finely chopped cauliflower. You can also serve them with regular rice or couscous for a filling meal.

Moroccan Chicken with Cauliflower Pilaf

adapted from Women's Weekly Food

	Preserved Lemons
6-7 Chicken thighs (about 1.5 kg) 3 tbsp Moroccan spice mix 5 tbsp Olive oil Sea salt and black pepper 2 Medium red onions, cut into wedges 1 Preserved lemon, flesh removed, thinly sliced 300 g Cooked chickpeas, drained, rinsed 1 Small cauliflower, stems chopped finely, florets chopped coarsely 30 g Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped 70 g Toasted, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped	6 Lemons, juiced 6-8 Organic thick-skinned lemons 6-8 tbsp Flaky sea salt 1 tsp Peppercorns (I used black and pink) 2 Bay leaves

Preserved Lemons

6-7 Chicken thighs (about 1.5 kg)
3 tbsp Moroccan spice mix
5 tbsp Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
2 Medium red onions, cut into wedges
1 Preserved lemon, flesh removed, thinly sliced
300 g Cooked chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 Small cauliflower, stems chopped finely, florets chopped coarsely
30 g Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
70 g Toasted, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

6 Lemons, juiced
6-8 Organic thick-skinned lemons
6-8 tbsp Flaky sea salt
1 tsp Peppercorns (I used black and pink)
2 Bay leaves

For preserved lemons, get a jar with a tight-fitting lid just large enough to accommodate all the lemons tightly. To sterilise it, fill it up with boiling water, leave for a minute and then empty it. Allow it to dry out naturally without wiping it so it remains sterilised.
Juice the 6 lemons and set aside. Wash the organic thick-skinned lemons and dry them off. Cut off the little rounded bit at the stem end if there’s a hard little piece of the stem attached. Cut a deep cross all the way from the top to 2-3cm from the bottom, leaving them attached at one end.
Rub salt flakes over the cut surfaces. Cover the bottom of the jar with some salt flakes too. Fit all the cut lemons in, squeezing them in as tightly as possible to get the juices flowing. Sprinkle some more salt flakes on each layer.
Add the peppercorns and bay leaves, Add the lemon juice, close it and let stand overnight in a cool place, but not the refrigerator.
The next day do the same, pressing the lemons down, encouraging them to release more juice as they start to soften. Repeat for a 2-3 days until the lemons are completely covered with liquid. If your lemons aren’t completely submerged, add additional freshly-squeezed lemon juice until they are completely submerged.
After 4-5 weeks, when the preserved lemons are soft, they’re ready to use. Store the lemons in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for at least 6 months. Rinse before using to remove excess salt.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Place chicken, spice mix and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large bowl. Toss to coat chicken in spice mix. Season.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 3 minutes or until browned. Transfer to the prepared tray. Arrange the onion wedges around the chicken thighs. Roast for 35-40 minutes until chicken are cooked and onions are caramelised.
Meanwhile, make cauliflower pilaf. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook chickpeas, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until they start to make a popping sound. Meanwhile, process cauliflower, in batches, until finely chopped. Add to chickpeas, cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes until cauliflower is just tender. Turn the heat off. Stir in 2/3 of chopped parsley, pistachios, and half of the sliced preserved lemons. Season to taste.
Serve pilaf topped with chicken thighs and onions, sprinkled with remaining preserved lemons and parsley.

2 comments:

DEZMOND 16/1/26 13:16: Die pilaf part sounds lovely, we also call it pilaV here in my country.
Tom 16/1/26 14:12: ...Angie, another culinary masterpiece.