I love this chicken dish. So much flavor. And so easy. No meat thermometers, no dry bland chicken, no poking and prodding to see if it’s done. It cooks up falls off the bone tender- with a flavor combo I love- dates, olives, lemons and a great spice blend. The couscous recipe was written as rice pilaf- and i’ve made that way. But I think that couscous is not only faster but tastier.
Moroccan Chicken- a Silver Palate recipe
Spice mixture:
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
freshly ground pepper, to taste [sizable pinch]
4 whole legs, separate legs from thighs [best way to do this… sort of rotate and break thigh from legs- you’ll hear/feel the break- then cut where the separation is]
1 lemon
1 cup greek olives, mixed green & black, pitted [doesn’t matter what kind, and this is a lot of olives, so I use a little bit less]
10 dried dates, pitted and halved
[I think olives and dates taste better when bought w. pits. So just rip them in half w. your hands, and take out pits]
Combine all spice mixture ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and mix up coat well with the mixture. Loosely cover and let stand [i refrigerate] for 1 hour.
Heat up deep heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, add chicken, skin side down. Cover and cook for 20 minutes (the chicken will cook in its own juices).
Slice lemons in eighths. Turn chicken over, and sprinkle w. lemon, olives, and dates. Cover and cook another 20 minutes, adding water if the mixture is too try [mine didn’t need it.]
Moroccan Couscous- adapted from Silver Palate.
1 1/2 cups plain couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil [I think I used closer to 1]
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds [optional- i did not use]
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and 1/4 inch diced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/4 cups of chicken stock
1/3 cup dried currants [i use a giant handful, i like a lot]
zest of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives [out of laziness, i leave this out]
Heat broth in small saucepan. In medium saucepan, add olive oil. [if using almonds, saute for 3 minutes until golden and fragrant.] Add onions. Cook for a minute or two. Add carrots and cinnamon cook for another 3 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add couscous, zest, currants, and cayenne. Stir and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff w. a fork.
Snacko Backo 
This sounds sooo good. Must try soon.