GRILLED OR BBQ’D MOROCCAN CHICKEN THIGHS Serves 4
With a tangy lemon saffron salad.
Spices create character in cooking and the spice combinations from this Nth African region tend to be subtle , sweet and fragrant….. quite different to Indian and S E Asian cooking. If you like entertaining guests or being organised ahead of time for the family meal, see my suggestions for getting set up ahead of time. So, when the hunger pangs hit, you can have the meal on the table in the time it takes to grill the firm, plump and very flavourful Laionica Chicken thighs.
INGREDIENTS
8 chicken thighs, skin on and thigh bone in.
2 Tbsp Moroccan spice blend.
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
MOROCCAN SPICE BLEND
In order to be admired and envied as great home cooks many families have jealously guarded recipes for their own particular blends, to give them the edge. I’ve seen some that contain 27 different ingredients! The best known Moroccan blend is known as “Ras al Hanut”… traditionally prepared by the head of the Spice shop.
There are specialist spice shops in Australia these days, that prepare worthy combinations of FRESH spices…. Still fragrant and full of flavour. “Herbies Spices in Sydney springs to mind , but If go on a hunt you will find more. However check out herbies.com.au . You have taken the time to chose Laionica Chicken thighs, why settle for inferior old tired spices. Here’s my blend as a starting point for keen cooks… feel free to adjust to your taste. It produces enough for the above recipe.
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1tsp tumeric
½ tsp powdered cloves
½ tsp white pepper
TANGY LEMON & SAFFRON SALAD
1 large red onion very finely sliced
Juice of ½ to 1 lemon depending on size and desired sharpness.
¼ cup very good Extra Virgin Olive oil
½ cup whole flat leaf parsley leaves
1 cup coriander leaves
A pinch of saffron threads soaked in 2 tbsp hot water for 1/2hr
Salt and sugar to taste
Mix everything together at the last minute as the chicken is cooking.
TO COOK CHICKEN
On a large plate or baking tray spread out the olive oil and sprinkle onto it the salt. Then lay the thighs on top SKIN SIDE DOWN (On the oil)
Sprinkle the spice mix evenly over the exposed flesh. I like to do it this way so the high heat required to cook the skin side doesn’t burn the spices. Cover and refrigerate for preferably a minimum of 1hr.
If cooking in doors BE CAREFUL OF THE SMOKE. Heat a grill pan to quite hot and cook, skin side down until golden and crispy. Then turn once and cook till done. You may want to finish the cooking in a 180 degree oven if the grill cooks the outside too quickly.
Cooking on the BBQ is preferred for both smoke and flavour reasons. It’s best to cook skin side first on the flat plate…. This will render out most of the fat and then put it shin side onto the grill section to get a pattern and grill flavour. The, use the hood on the BBQ when you turn the chicken and cook it on indirect heat so it doesn’t burn over a direct flame. Not a bad idea to run a small sharp knife along the thigh bone to help the heat penetrate.
PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME
Marinade the chicken and prepare the salad BUT keep the liquids separate to the onion and leaves till ready to eat. This can be done a day before.
I like to serve this with cous cous and Harissa a spicy hot traditional Nth African Chilli paste.
Try drinking with it a chilled Rose or Pinot Gris.
I regularly feature Laionica chicken in cooking classes held on my farm in Bowral NSW. I’d love to see you there. For details visit;
www.geoffjansz.com.au
"Move over lamb chop and butcher's snag... La Ionica chicken is taking over the BBQ! Nothing could be as easy and flavoursome as this dish."
