One Pan Mediterranean Chicken and Israeli Couscous
This one pan chicken dinner packs a punch of flavour thanks to the delicious Mediterranean additions of garlic, anchovies, capers, olives and lemon.
Equipment
- 12 inch non -stick skillet with tight fitting lid
Ingredients
Pesto Mayo
- 120 grams mayonnaise, regular or light is fine, don't use fat free, about 1/2 cup
- 10 grams jarred pesto sauce. about 1 tablespoon
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/8 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dry Rub for Chicken
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/2 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 900 grams boneless skinless chicken thighs
Chicken and Couscous
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 medium sized shallots, finely diced
- 30 grams capers, about 3 Tablespoons
- 336 grams Israeli couscous, also called pearl couscous, about 1 1/2 cups
- 100 grams olives, pitted and quartered, I used a mix of kalamata and castelvetrano olives
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided into 1 3/4 cups and 1/4 cup.
- 20 grams jarred pesto sauce, about 2 tablespoons
- 20 grams pinenuts, toasted, about 2 Tablespoons
- 10 leaves basil, torn
Instructions
- Make basil mayo sauce: In a small mixing bowl, combine mayo, pesto, lemon juice, salt. Cover and keep in fridge until serving time.
- Prepare chicken for sautéing: Pat chicken thighs with paper towels so that they are dry and arrange them on a baking sheet or large plate. Combine 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper and sprinkle on both sides of chicken thighs.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and cook thighs for 3 minutes. Flip thighs and cook on second side for another 3 minutes. Remove thighs to a clean plate and set aside.
- Without cleaning the skillet, add anchovies, garlic, shallots and capers. Saute on medium-low heat until shallots soften and anchovies completely breakdown and melt into other ingredients. If mixture begins to burn, add a few tablespoons of water.
- Add Israeli couscous and stir until all the grains are coated. Mix in olives and lemon zest. Add 1 3/4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and 2 tablespoons pesto. Stir well. Nestle chicken thighs onto bed of couscous. Cover with lid, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, check to see doneness of couscous. If still firm after 12 minutes, and all the liquid has evaporated, add additional 1/4 cup of stock, cover and cook for a few more minutes, until couscous is al dente.
- Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, fresh basil leaves and drizzle with reserved lemon basil mayo.
Nutrition
Calories: 840kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 60gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 225mgSodium: 2038mgPotassium: 970mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 803IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 4mg
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