Apricot Chickpea Braised Chicken
Bone-in chicken thighs braised with dried apricots, chickpeas, cumin, ginger and cinnamon until the sauce turns sticky and sweet-savory. One pan, Moroccan-inspired.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5
- Serves
- 4
Browning the chicken well and keeping the skin out of the liquid is what makes this dish: the sauce gets rich while the skin stays crisp. It reheats beautifully and is even better the next day. Serve with couscous, rice or warm flatbread to catch the sauce.
Method
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Pat the chicken dry and season all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Mix the cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and pepper in a small bowl.
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Heat the olive oil in a large, deep oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken skin side down, in two batches if needed, until deep golden. Flip and brown more, then move to a plate.
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Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Lower the heat to medium, add the carrots and the spice mixture, and stir until fragrant.
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Add the chickpeas, apricots, honey, water, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the lemon zest. Scrape up the browned bits and bring to a simmer.
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Nestle the chicken back in, skin side up, keeping the skin above the liquid. Cover and braise .
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Uncover and cook more, until the chicken is tender, the carrots are soft and the sauce is thick and glossy. If the skin has softened, slide the pan under a hot broiler for .
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Stir the lemon juice into the sauce, then scatter the almonds and cilantro over the top. Serve from the pan.
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