Moroccan Saffron Chicken with Rice

Chicken cooked with lots of onions, saffron and other Moroccan spices is easy to make and the savory foundation to a number of delicious Moroccan dishes such as Chicken Bastilla and Chicken Briouats.

You'll be tempted to eat this tender, flavorful chicken right from the pot, but it's best served on a bed of Moroccan Rice Pilaf or in Seffa Medfouna.

Serves 4.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces and skin removed
• 2 large sweet onions, chopped medium
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 small pieces (2 to 3") of cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Cover, and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is very tender and pulls easily off the bone. Do not add water, and be careful not to burn the chicken.

Reduce the liquids until they are mostly oils. Discard the cinnamon sticks, and taste for seasoning. (The sauce should be a bit salty and peppery.)

Serve the chicken and sauce on a bed of rice or hidden within a mound of steamed broken vermicelli or couscous (Seffa Medfouna).

By Angela Moraa