Spiced chicken with quinoa and lemon zest

Name: Spiced chicken with quinoa and lemon zest
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Moroccan recipes
Ingredients: 4 British free-range chicken thighs and 4 wings; Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp ras el hanout (Moroccan spice mix, available from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado); 1 tsp chilli flakes; 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground cumin; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 250g quinoa; 12 dried apricots, sliced; Finely grated zest ½ unwaxed lemon; Handful each fresh flatleaf parsley, mint and coriander leaves, chopped, plus extra to garnish; 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado or Middle Eastern food shops), or lemon juice; Dried rose petals to garnish (optional; from baking shops or http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/ottolenghi.co.uk)

Published: 8 Jun 15
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Jordan Bourke’s Moroccan-inspired chicken recipe is completely wheat free making it suitable for people with coeliac disease.

Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 30 min, oven time 30 min

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Ingredients

4 British free-range chicken thighs and 4 wings
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp ras el hanout (Moroccan spice mix, available from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado)
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, crushed
250g quinoa
12 dried apricots, sliced
Finely grated zest ½ unwaxed lemon
Handful each fresh flatleaf parsley, mint and coriander leaves, chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado or Middle Eastern food shops), or lemon juice
Dried rose petals to garnish (optional; from baking shops or ottolenghi.co.uk)

Method

Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/ gas 5. Put the chicken pieces in a large roasting tray and drizzle over 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or just enough to coat them. Season with plenty of sea salt, sprinkle over the ras el hanout and chilli flakes, then use your hands to rub the spices into the chicken. Roast for 25-30 minutes until cooked through and the skin is crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, gently sauté the red onion in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the cinnamon, cumin, garlic and 1 tsp salt, then fry for another couple of minutes until aromatic.
Add the quinoa and 500ml water to the pan. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for about 12 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook until all the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is quite dry.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the apricots, lemon zest, herbs and pomegranate molasses (or lemon juice). Season to taste.
Serve the quinoa with the chicken on top. Scatter over extra herb leaves and, if you like, some dried rose petals.

Recipe from May 2015 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

For 6 servings

Calories: 329kcals
Fat: 12.9g (2.4g saturated)
Protein: 25g
Carbohydrates: 29.2g (8.2g sugars)
Fibre: 1.9g
Salt: 0.3g

delicious. tips

Jordan says: “I love using quinoa as a base for salads or, as here, spiced up and served with meat or fsh. It’s a fantastic source of protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, and it can be used as you would couscous. Millet is another option that’s gaining popularity; it has a nutty favour and works well in dishes such as this. For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for roasted squash and use vegetable stock.”

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Spiced chicken with quinoa and lemon zest

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

delicious. tips

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