Description
Mediterranean-inspired lemon herb chicken couscous delight brings zesty flavors together in one harmonious dish. Convenient preparation meets elegant dining, letting home cooks craft a memorable meal with simple ingredients and bold Mediterranean seasonings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup fresh dill (roughly chopped)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
- 4 ribs celery with leaves (trimmed and diced)
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Cancale seasoning salt (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Dukkah (for serving)
- Oyster splitters or saltines (for serving)
- Extra virgin olive oil (for garnish)
- Water (as needed)
Instructions
- Poaching Preparation: Submerge chicken thighs in a spacious pot, generously seasoning with salt and tucking fresh parsley sprigs. Cover completely with water and bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for two hours.
- Stock Refinement: Remove chicken from broth, strain liquid, discarding parsley. Return fragrant stock to cooking vessel and drizzle olive oil over medium heat. Sauté finely diced onions and celery until translucent and aromatic.
- Seasoning Layer: Sprinkle seasoning salt across vegetables, adjusting flavor profile. Introduce pearl couscous, toasting grains for two minutes to enhance nutty undertones.
- Liquid Integration: Pour reserved chicken stock into pot, add shredded chicken meat. Increase temperature to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, allowing couscous to absorb liquid and become tender for approximately fifteen minutes.
- Flavor Completion: Season with salt and cracked pepper. Fold in freshly chopped dill and a bright splash of lemon juice. Continue simmering for a final five minutes to harmonize flavors and elevate dish’s aromatic profile.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Poaching: Use chicken thighs with bone-in and skin-on for maximum flavor and moisture retention during the two-hour slow-cooking process.
- Vegetable Sauté Technique: Low and slow caramelization of onions and celery develops a deeper, more complex flavor base for the couscous dish.
- Couscous Absorption Tip: Let the pearl couscous rest after cooking for 5-10 minutes to ensure perfect texture and complete liquid absorption.
- Herb Freshness Hack: Add delicate herbs like dill and parsley at the end of cooking to preserve their vibrant flavor and bright green color.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg