119. North African inspired 'Moroccan' chicken stew with dates, olives and chickpeas

This recipe is for a chicken stew but, it could easily be a vegetarian stew by swapping out chicken for cooked red lentils using the same spice profile. I will post a Moroccan stew using lentils soon.

This recipe is made in one pot or large pan. The recipe is deceiving, it looks like lots of steps and ingredients but, it is just mixing some dried spices, marinating time, chopping then a quick simmer on the stovetop.

I am curious if other home cooks go through flavour cycles like I do. I like to cook several dishes from a certain region for a period of time then, I shift to another region or flavour profile. I find myself doing this as the seasons progress. My family are used to my flavour cycling and, when North African cuisine has suited up they are all pretty pleased. Summer has not quite left us but, a Moroccan stew feels like a perfect segue to close out the season and usher in some flavoursome North African cooking.

This stew is not at all authentic it is inspired by the gorgeous rich flavours of Moroccan cuisine. I have made this recipe for my family countless times and they love it. So, in keeping with the title of this Substack - ‘Just really good recipes’, it has earned a spot of loved recipes to share. The vegetable element to this recipe is very flexible. Use whatever vegetables you want or have on hand. I wouldn’t however, recommend broccoli due to it’s own distinct flavour but, most other vegetables would work beautifully. I added potatoes to the stew so, this time, I didn’t serve couscous. Couscous is a national Moroccan dish so, if you are serving this stew for guests (or not) I recommend a side of couscous.

To overly generalize, I find that you can create the feeling of Moroccan flavours in stews, tagines etc. by using a big red onion, garlic and warm spices like cinnamon with cumin and a lovely side of couscous. This recipe is a nod to the gentle aromatic Moroccan spicing tradition.

Moroccan spices are quite diverse, cinnamon, cumin, sweet paprika and ginger and the signature ras al hanout are the building blocks to the Moroccan flavour profile. Ras al hanout is a mix that is often unique to each household but, is comprised of cardamon, cumin, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, anise, ginger, turmeric and peppers. These flavours are used in everything, tagines, couscous, meat (lamb mostly), chicken and legumes. The base of Moroccan cuisine is earthy and mild. If heat is detected, it usually comes from the addition of harissa which is a paste made from coriander, cumin, garlic and red peppers. Layer upon layer of flavour and cooking technique set the tone for Moroccan cuisine.

Here we go!

Marinating spices for the chicken - Place all the spices and olive oil in a Ziploc bag or bowl and mix with the chicken. Marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge.

10 boneless skinless chicken thighs OR 3-4 lbs chicken tenders - chopped

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground coriander 

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 red pepper flakes (optional)

Ingredients - The stew -

1 red onion - chopped

4-5 large cloves garlic, minced

3-4 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

1 carrot, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 large white potato or several fingerling potatoes, cubed

handful of pitted dates chopped

1 tomato chopped

handful of baby spinach - no need to chop

1/2 cup chickpeas

1/2 cup Greek Kalamata olives (optional) - pits removes

5 orange slices or more to taste (half moon shaped - this will add sweetness and a hint of citrus)

1 Tbsp cilantro and parsley, chopped as garnish (optional)

Method

Marinating the chicken

Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces. Place all the dry spices in a bowl or Ziploc bag and stir in the extra virgin olive oil. Add the chopped chicken and set aside in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Cooking the stew

1. Pre-heat a large non stick pan with 3-4 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil. Sauté the onions for 2 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and stir for another minute, the garlic should be fragrant.

2. Add the marinated chicken and continue cooking and stirring until the chicken is no longer raw looking about 3-5 minutes - the chicken needn’t be fully cooked before you add the vegetables.

   

3. Add the carrots, tomatoes, dates, chickpeas and olives. Then add the boiled potatoes and orange slices. Stir well to combine until the tomatoes start to break down then, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

• NOTE: Do not add the zucchini nor the baby spinach until 5 minutes before serving as they cook quickly and adding them too early will cause them to be soggy.

4. Allow the stew to simmer until the carrots are fork tender and chicken is fully cooked through about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt to taste.

5. Remove the orange slices before serving.

6. Serve the stew as is or with couscous (or rice).

Serve and enjoy!