Chicken Thighs Moroccan Style

I won’t go into a long description of what goes into this recipe. Let me just say that this is another very tasty way to cook chicken thighs. We have a spice-rich marinade, which will fill the kitchen and the whole apartment with spicy aromas when roasting, and a delicate tomato and cream sauce.

I try to take chicken thighs without a bone, it is more convenient for me. You can take them with a bone and either remove it or cook them with a bone inside. Most importantly, do not try to skimp on the cream by using less fat, it will curdle while heating, ruining the appearance and texture.

Ingredients

For 3-4 servings:

• 800 g (1,8 lb) boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 cm of ginger root
• 1/2 nutmeg
• 1.5-2 tbsp. vegetable oil

For the sauce:

• 1/2 chicken bouillon cube
• 150 ml water
• 100 ml tomato passata (can be replaced with tomato paste)
• 100 ml of 33% cream (take it out of the fridge beforehand to warm it up)

Step by step Directions

Peel and slice 2-3 cm of ginger root into thin slices. Chop 3 cloves of garlic finely.

Put the chicken in a marinade bowl (or in a bag so as not to dirty the dishes). Grate the zest of 1/2 of a lemon and squeeze out the juice. Grate half of the nutmeg into the chicken. Add the rest of the spices: 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika.

Add finely chopped garlic and ginger to the chicken and pour in 1.5-2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Stir to combine. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes. More is better. You can leave overnight in the refrigerator. Or marinate in the morning, put it in the fridge and cook it in the evening.

While the chicken is marinating prepare the ingredients for the sauce. Tomato puree, 100 ml cream, half a stock cube and 150 ml boiling water. Pour the bouillon cube into the boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, place chicken thighs skin side down and fry for 3-4 minutes until crispy, but be careful not to burn. Turn over and fry for another 4 minutes.

If the chicken was marinated in the refrigerator, take it out an hour before cooking. This will allow it to warm up to room temperature and cook more evenly.

Pour in the bouillon cube dissolved in water, 100 ml of passata and 100 ml of cream. Reduce heat to low and stir. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

If desired, after 5 minutes the chicken can be removed from the pan, and the sauce slightly boiled, to a thicker consistency, but it is not necessary.

Couscous as a side dish would be perfect, something more traditionally Moroccan is hard to come by. But if couscous is not your option, rice or potatoes will also work fine. It’s not the garnish that counts, it’s the juicy and flavorful chicken, right?