Syria

Recipes

Moroccan Couscous

Description:

This is not for the faint of heart, just for those seeking the pleasures of life. Spicy and hot, and you will cook it over and over. If nothing else, we owe Morocco a thank you for this one.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

chicken, 3.5 pound, cut in 6 pieces

butter, 3.5 T

vegetable oil, 1/4 c

onion, 1 large, cut into wedges

plum tomatoes, .5 pound quartered

parsley, 1 c fresh chopped

ginger, 1.5 t ground

black pepper, 1.5 t ground

turmeric, 1 t ground

jalapeno chili, 1 whole

cinnamon stick, .5

cayenne pepper, 1/4 t

saffron threads, 1/8 t crushed

turnips, 5 small, peeled, quartered

carrots, 4 large peeled, quartered lengthwise and crosswise

acorn squash, 1 large peeled, seeded, cut into 2 inch pieces

zucchini, 3 small cut quartered lengthwise then crosswise

garbanzo beans, 16,ounce, canned

water, 2 1/4 c

salt, 1.5 t

couscous, 3 c about 18 ounces

chicken broth, 4 c, canned

Note: Buy couscous from a Middle Eastern store, or you maybe can buy it at health stores.

Instructions:

Combine chicken and broth in a large Dutch oven. Simmer until chicken is cooked through,turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using tongs remove chicken from cooking liquid: reserve cooking liquid.. Skin and bone chicken; cut into bite size pieces. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil in large heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion,sauté until tender,about 10 minute. Add tomatoes and next 8 ingredients and stir 30 seconds. Mix in reserved cooking liquid, turnips, carrots, squash, zucchini and garbanzo beans with liquid. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces to sauce and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Discard jalapeno. Meanwhile bring 2 1/4c. Water and 1- 1/2 T butter and salt to boiling. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes; fluff with fork. Arrange couscous in center of serving platter. Drizzle couscous with 3/4 c sauce. Spoon chicken and vegetables atop couscous. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.