Tonight I threw my hat in the ring with a Moroccan-themed dinner of chicken with pomegranate-glazed carrots. I thought these two dishes would go together as they have a similar flavor theme - cinnamon and coriander. The chicken recipe is for chicken that is first marinaded for six hours and then grilled. I adapted it for cooking on the stovetop by applying the seasonings as a rub rather than a marinade.
Tonight's flavor theme for dinner |
First, I started some rice. Remember that the key to perfect rice is a splash of heavy cream.
For my chicken, I used a pack of chicken thighs that I cut into strips, because if it looks the same, it cooks the same.
I made my rub out of the seasonings for the marinade:
3 Tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Chicken rubbed with spices |
I rubbed it into the cut thigh meat while I preheated some olive oil in a sturdy skillet. I sauteed the chicken in the oil over moderate heat until it was cooked through.
Cooked on the stovetop |
I also cooked om carrots at the same time. For the pomegranate-glazed carrots, I cut my carrots into diagonal slices and sauteed them in olive oil for about five minutes before adding the following:
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tsp cinnamon - the recipe calls for a cinnamon stick, which I did not have, so I used the same cinnamon as in the chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp coriander - the recipe calls for roasted coriander seeds - I used the same ground coriander as in the chicken
The recipe indicates that as this cooks, the pomegranate juice will cook down and may a glaze. This did happen. Kind of. I think it is relying on some natural sugar form the carrots to create the glaze, so timing is important. I think my timing was a little off, along with my seasonings. My carrots were not overcooked; however, the flavor of the dish was overpowered by the pomegranate.
Carrots with a pomegranate glaze |
The chicken fared much better. It had a vaguely Moroccan flavor to it with just a little sweetness from the sugar. I think this recipe worked well as a rub and wish I had taken the time to let the flavors set before cooking.
Here are the links to the recipes as they appeared on epicurious:
Grilled Chicken Moroccan Style
Pomegranate-Glazed Carrots
Tonight's dinner - a fair success |
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