This dish is full of protein and is great for a fall evening. It's hands-off enough that you can do it during a busy weeknight. I used chicken drumsticks but you can also use any cut of the chicken for this recipe.
I'm always looking for an excuse to have a dinner party. Well, I saw a gold and white plate that had a Moroccan-style pattern to it. That was enough for me to throw a Moroccan themed dinner party with some of my closest friends. I've never been to Morocco but I sure do want to go! In the meantime, I can invite my friends to Morocco with me for the low price of a chicken and some lentils. See the video below on how I threw a Moroccan themed dinner party and what goes great with this braised chicken and lentils with blistered tomatoes.
The lentils are a starch that are also a good source of protein. They are economical so they are great when you are on a budget. I love a good pot of beans. They bring fiber and protein. It just sounds like it's a win-win to me.
Brown your chicken at the beginning of this dish and brown and blister the tomatoes again under the broiler for a deep rich color. This is a dish that brings so many layers of flavor.
Try out this recipe and let me know what you think. You don't have to create an entire Moroccan menu to enjoy this one. It's worth every minute.
Moroccan Braised Chicken and Lentils with Blistered Tomatoes
Recipe adapted from lentils.org, Click here for original recipe.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 Whole chicken, cut up into 8 pieces
1 Yellow onion, diced
4 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Cup Red lentils, rinsed
1 Pint Whole cherry tomatoes
2 Cups Chicken stock, low sodium
3 Bay leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an ovenproof pan over medium/high heat add in 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Dry chicken on both sides. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Brown chicken on both sides. You may have to work in batches to sear all pieces.
Once brown, remove chicken from the pan. Add in diced onions, garlic, smoked paprika and cumin. Stir for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions become transparent.
Add in lentils, stock, tomatoes, bay leaves. Stir to combine. Add chicken pieces back to the pan. Add pan to preheated oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until both chicken and lentils are done.
Turn on broiler feature on oven and place pan in the broiler for one minute or so until tomatoes begin to blister and brown. Remove from broiler. Serve warm and enjoy!
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