one pan spiced coconut chicken thighs with dried apricots, cauliflower, and pearl couscous
one pan spiced coconut chicken thighs with cauliflower and pearl couscous
if i had a cookbook club, this is the sort of thing we’d make. we’d take turns chopping the vegetables, someone would be in charge gathering small bowls and spoons and mixing the spices, someone would pour a very chilled vino verde into little cups. someone else might suggest we warm some naan, maybe tuck into a crisp cucumber salad beforehand? someone else would impress us greatly with an intricate dessert, or, cookies from the freezer. we are not picky in this club. we just like to tiptoe into new recipes, clink glasses, talk about the books we’ve read and if retinol serums are actually necessary at this age. we might talk about the state of the world, love and how hard but also how easy it is, we might not. we might wonder what sort of cuisine will inspire us for the next time cookbook club gathers. a galentine’s theme, perhaps? i’m in charge of the cheese board.
(thank you for indulging me in this brief fantasy, and, if anyone would like to do virtual cookbook club, please please please leave a comment or message me on instagram @honeystreetfood - yes, i would seriously be down for this.)
anyway, let’s talk about this one-pan-wonder and how amazing it is because wowow, what! a! stunner!
this is the kind of thing I imagine serving at a big, fancy but not fancy sunday dinner. saturday’s in these pandemic-y times are meant for frozen pizzas or takeout from your favorite vietnamese place, but sunday? sunday should be a little more special. (please tell me you too have thought ‘cauliflower’ and ‘peas’ and ‘carrots’ and immediately thought ‘special’ right afterward, too.)
trust that i would not lead you astray and that this truly is a gem of a meal, and that it’s a shimmering thing of delicious wonder that also happens to be easy - remember, ONE! PAN!
a few tidbits before we get started:
first, we marinate the chicken in a spice rub for ultra deliciousness, then we let it sear and get crispy and amazing. then we add our veggies, give them a few stirs, then add tomato paste to deepen our flavor base, swish in some broth and coconut milk, sprinkle in our couscous, and let it do it’s thing. that’s it! truly! special, and effort exerted was about a 4/10, which we like around here.
happy sunday, friends! can’t wait for you to dig into this one.
one pan spiced coconut chicken thighs with cauliflower and pearl couscous
makes: 4 servings
prep time: 1 hour, if marinating ahead of time
cook time:
1 1/2lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (my package had 4)
1 onion, diced
1/2 a head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets (save the rest for a veggie saute, or steam and freeze for smoothies!)
2 large carrots, diced
1/2c dried apricots, diced
1/2c peas, frozen works here
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1tbsp tomato paste
3/4c pearl couscous
2c broth or stock
1c coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
1/2c fresh parsley, chopped + more for serving
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4c olives, sliced (optional)
2tbsp olive oil, divided
spice rub:
1 1/2tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
1tsp red chili flake (less or omit if you do not like spice!)
1 1/2tsp cumin
1tsp paprika
1tsp coriander
1tsp garlic powder
1/2tsp onion powder
1/2tsp turmeric
mix the spices for the rub in a bowl. then, pour 1tbsp of olive oil over the chicken thighs, and sprinkle half the spice rub over (you’ll use the other half for the veggies.) massage the oil and spices into the chicken, and set aside. if you’re marinating ahead of time, place the chicken in the fridge for 1 hour. if not, proceed!
heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pan (a cast-iron skillet works well) over medium-high heat. place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes per side. then, remove the chicken and place on a plate.
lower the heat to medium, and add the onion, carrots, cauliflower, apricots, and garlic to the pan, scraping the charred bits from the bottom. add the remaining half of the spices, and saute for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. then, add the tomato paste, and stir again until it’s incorporated. add the couscous, broth, and coconut cream to the pan, and nestle the chicken thighs back in. you want the chicken thighs to be mostly covered with the liquid, as this will ensure they cook all the way through.
simmer for 25 minutes until the liquid reduces by more than half, and the couscous is cooked through. stir in the peas, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olives.
spoon the couscous and veggies into bowls, and top each with a chicken thigh. sprinkle with parsley and a black pepper.