Moroccan-Inspired Chicken Stew

This post has been sponsored by Maple Leaf Prime.

Cold. Dark. Dreary.

That's how this winter has felt. The cold weather has been lingering (it was -27°C with the windchill again today) and spring still seems a long way off. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I had a winter hobby like skiing or snowboarding, but I don't, so the winter months are always a bit of a drag. Although we did have a spectacular ice storm back in December... (you can see a few photos in my Turkish Delight post).

The only way I can get through winter without being totally grumpy (ok, I'm still a little grumpy) is by eating something rich and warm. Hot chocolate works, of course, but when it comes to dinner my first choice is always my mom's Moroccan-inspired chicken stew.

This dish combines dried fruit, spices and a hot chilli pepper to create a savoury-sweet stew that will warm you from the inside out.

This dish doesn't take long to cook, making it a great weeknight dinner idea. Just remember to put the chicken to marinate the night before. Also, you might be tempted to skip the stove-top steps, but I don't recommend it. Sautéing the onions and browning the chicken adds a lot of flavour to the dish.

I should also mention that this stew doesn't have a lot of sauce because we didn't add any broth. I like it this way, but if you prefer you could add a splash of chicken broth to the pan before you put it in the oven.

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out!

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Moroccan-Inspired Chicken Stew

Recipe By: Shareba Abdul

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

For the Marinade:

• ▢ 1 small red chilli pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon tumeric
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoon tomato paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic

For the Stew:

• ▢ 6 Maple Leaf Prime Chicken Thighs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• ▢ ½ cup onions, chopped
• ▢ ½ cup shallots, chopped
• ▢ ½ cup raisins
• ▢ ½ cup dried apricots, chopped

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Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add the chicken, zip the bag close and put it in the fridge to marinate overnight.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
3. Place a large Dutch oven (or braiser) over medium heat. Heat the grape seed oil then add onions and shallots. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
4. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes.
5. Add the raisins and apricots, then cover and place in oven.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until chicken is cooked and the fruit is glossy.
7. Serve with cooked white rice or couscous.

Please read the full blog post for all of my tips, variations, and recommendations for this recipe.

Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on specific ingredients and brands used. Accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

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Have you made this recipe?

Let us know how it turned out in the comments!

We used Maple Leaf Prime Chicken Thighs for this dish, and I was really happy with how they turned out. I noticed that these chicken thighs were more tender than the generic chicken we usually buy. It is more expensive, but if you can afford it I think it's worth the price point. I am also a fan of the clean packaging.

To learn more about these products, visit MapleLeafPrime.ca or check out Maple Leaf Prime on Facebook.

Disclosure:
This post has been sponsored by Maple Leaf Prime.
All opinions are my own.