Who doesn’t appreciate one-pot meals for their ease of cooking and cleanup and usually their economy? This fits the bill on all counts and is not bland, as one-pot wonders can be, but not overly spicy. It’s so fragrant while it cooks!
If you didn’t know, couscous is a pasta, technically speaking. It’s granular semolina. It cooks in five minutes and a little goes a long way. I make it often and buy it in bulk, but the small boxes it’s packaged in last a long while too.
I found the recipe at BBC Good Food and I’ve translated it for American home cooks. I’ll give measurements in both weight and volume, as usual, but anyone preferring British English for the directions should consult the original.
I also made a smaller amount than the eight thighs called for and my changes because of that are noted separately. Any chicken parts can be used of course, even a cut-up chicken, but the original uses thighs and I ran across them on sale for crazy cheap and bought a pack.
One-Pot Chicken and Couscous
Adapted from BBC Good Food Magazine
8 skin on, bone-in chicken thighs*
2 tsp turmeric
1 TB garam masala
pinch salt
1 TB vegetable oil
2 small onions, finely sliced or chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or sliced
500ml (16.9 oz) chicken stock or broth*
large handful whole green olives
zest and juice 1 medium lemon, about 2 TB juice
250g (1 1/3 cups) couscous*
boiling water, if needed
small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
*My pack of thighs had 5 large ones, about the same as 6 normal thighs. I didn’t change any of the seasonings’ amounts but I used 1 can (14oz, 396ml) of low-sodium chicken broth and only 1 cup/180g of couscous. I did not have to add any water to cook the couscous. There was plenty of liquid in the pot. I don’t like olives and left them out. I was out of fresh parsley! ~ ella
Pat dry the thighs with a paper towel. Mix together the turmeric and garam masala and divide. Pat half of the mixture onto the thighs, front and back, and reserve the other half. Sprinkle salt onto the thighs (I used a little pepper too ~ ella) and set aside.
In a large pot or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat until quite hot. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook uncovered until golden, about 10 minutes. Turn over and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the pan.
If needed, add 1 more TB of oil before adding the onion and garlic. Cook several mintues, stirring from time to time, until golden. Add the remaining turmeric and garam masala, stir, and cook another minute. Add the chicken broth or stock and scatter in the olives. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and add back the chicken, skin-side up.
Cover the pan and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Near the end of the cooking time, peek into the pot. If a lot of the liquid is evaporating, boil some water to use in the next step.
When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and couscous and any boiling water if needed to just cover the couscous, put the lid back on and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add half the parsley and the lemon zest to the couscous, fluff with a fork and set the chicken on top. Sprinkle on the rest of the parsley and zest before serving.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This sounds wonderful. I love to learn the variation of making couscous. Have not thought it’s possible to use couscous to make one pot dish.
This is delicious! I only wish I’d had the green stuff around to make it prettier.