Moroccan Chicken Stew
Serves 2
Cooking Time 3 to 4 hours on Low
Slow Cooker Size 3½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Most slow-cooker chicken stews deliver ho-hum flavor and dry, tasteless meat. We
wanted a rich-tasting stew with tender bites of chicken and decided to incorporate
the bright, lively flavors of Moroccan cuisine for an exciting dinner for two. To
keep our prep work to a minimum, we chose boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which
remained moist and tender during cooking and could be simply seasoned and stirred
into the stew right out of the package; once they were tender, we shredded them into
bite-size pieces. Chicken broth and white wine kept our chicken moist and infused
it with big flavor. For savory depth, we included a good amount of tomato paste. A
bit of tapioca ensured that the sauce thickened nicely. Narrowing down the spice list
to just the essentials—paprika and garam masala—gave us a dish that tasted like a
true tagine but didn’t require seeking out obscure ingredients. Creamy chickpeas and
dried apricots rounded out our stew and gave it an authentic touch. Serve over couscous
or rice. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
2 |
tablespoons tomato paste |
|
1 |
tablespoon vegetable oil |
|
1 |
tablespoon paprika |
|
1 |
teaspoon garam masala |
|
1½ |
cups chicken broth |
|
1 |
(14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed |
|
¼ |
cup dry white wine |
|
1 |
tablespoon instant tapioca |
|
1 |
pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed |
|
|
Salt and pepper |
|
3 |
tablespoons chopped dried apricots |
1. Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Microwave tomato paste, oil, paprika, and garam masala in bowl, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer to prepared slow cooker. Stir in broth, chickpeas, wine, and tapioca. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 3 to 4 hours on low.
2. Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of stew. Break chicken into about 1-inch pieces with tongs. Stir in apricots and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. (Adjust stew consistency with extra hot broth as needed.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.