winner winner chicken dinner

Looking for a flavorful chicken dish? We all know how tiresome chicken can become.  It really can get boring fast if it is your go to protein, here is a recipe i came up with for a delicious chicken dinner with my idea of a Moroccan flair.  I used bone in chicken thighs which keep the chicken super moist while it is cooking, and the braising liquid is really flavorful and cooks down into a great sauce.  Check out the recipe below, and until next time .. eat laugh love & enjoy!

-6 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on [as a member of WW i cooked the chicken with the skin on but when it came time to eat i removed the skin, boyfriend kept his on for an added crispiness]
-1 onion diced
-3 oz of dried apricots, cut in half
-1 can of diced tomato
-1 apricot beer [i happened to have a leftover Dogwood Apri-hops in my fridge which is part of the dishes inspiration]
                                                                -1 half of a box of chicken stock
                                                                -1 large teaspoon of brown sugar

Start by seasoning your chicken thighs with a little salt and pepper and place them skin side down in your dutch oven/oven safe large pot.  you want to cook at a med-low temp to render out the skin's fat creating a bit of crispiness on your chicken thighs.  once the skin looks crispy, remove chicken and add in the onions to begin to sweat, add in your can of tomato, beer, chicken stock, brown sugar and apricots.  nestle the chicken back into the braising liquid, cover and pop in your oven for 2 hours at 325* COVERED.  after 2 hours remove the cover and continue to cook for 30 min uncovered, this will give the liquid a chance to reduce and thicken.  [side note, you can also reduce the liquid on your stove top]

The great part about this dinner is it is pretty much set it and forget it.  it takes minimal effort in prep time and you get maximum flavor at eating time. i chose to serve this dish over a bed of cous cous because i thought it would really tie in with my middle eastern idea.  cous cous is great, its good for you and really easy to make. 1 whole box will feed 4-5 people and it is good warm and just as good cold.  for this dish i added some golden raisins and sliced almonds to add texture and flavor.  the raisins added a bit of sweetness and the almond adds a nice crunch.  Recipe is super easy, follow the box instructions [i sub the water out for chicken stock] when the cous cous is done use a fork to gently fluff and add in your almonds and rasins.  serve on the plate as a bed for the chicken and voila time to eat!