Sweet Stuffed Moroccan Chicken
Overview
Sweet stuffed Moroccan chicken is a whole bird filled with couscous, almonds and raisins, spiced with ginger and saffron, and roasted. The sweet-and-savoury combination is characteristic of Moroccan cooking rather than a novelty. Dried fruit and nuts with meat runs right through the cuisine, in tagines with prunes, in mrouzia with honey and almonds, in pastilla where sugar is dusted over a pigeon pie. The instinct is old and probably Andalusian and Persian in origin, and Morocco has kept it more completely than most. Saffron is what lifts it and is worth using properly. It is the most expensive spice in the world by weight, but very little is needed, and it should be bloomed in a little warm water or stock before it goes in rather than added dry, which wastes most of it. The couscous stuffing does two things: it carries the fruit and nuts, and it absorbs juices from the bird as it roasts. Ginger runs through the spicing alongside the saffron, and the combination is what makes it read as Moroccan rather than generally festive. Serves three to six depending on the bird.
AFN Heritage Note
The pairing of dried fruit and nuts with meat is characteristic of Moroccan cooking and appears across the cuisine, from prune tagines to mrouzia and pastilla. Saffron and ginger are the defining spices of this preparation.
Ingredients
Dietary tags come from contributors and AFN does not verify them. They also depend on the products you buy. Recipes here are published for learning, not as medical or dietary advice. If you have an allergy or a medical condition, check every ingredient yourself and talk to a doctor or dietitian. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Marinating the chicken ensures that the delicious herbs and spices are absorbed by the chicken.
- 2
Saffron infusion adds depth of flavor to the stock.
- 3
Using the marinade in the sauce results in an unbelievably flavorful sauce!
Africook’s Notes
- Bloom the saffron in a little warm water or stock before using it. Added dry, most of its flavour and colour is wasted.
- Do not pack the stuffing tight. Couscous swells as it absorbs the juices and a tightly packed bird cooks unevenly.
- Toast the almonds separately before they go into the stuffing, they lose their crunch inside the bird otherwise.
- Cover for the first part of roasting and uncover to brown at the end.
Questions cooks ask
Why sweet ingredients with chicken?
Because that combination is central to Moroccan cooking rather than a variation on it. Dried fruit and nuts with meat appears across the cuisine, prunes in tagines, honey and almonds in mrouzia, sugar dusted over pastilla. The instinct traces back through Andalusian and Persian influence and Morocco has retained it more fully than most cuisines.
Do I have to use saffron?
It is what gives the dish its particular perfume and colour, and there is no true substitute, turmeric gives the colour but not the aroma. Very little is needed, so a small quantity goes a long way. Bloom it in warm liquid first rather than adding it dry, or most of it is wasted.
Can I stuff it in advance?
Prepare the stuffing ahead by all means, but do not stuff the bird until just before roasting. Stuffing left inside a raw chicken sits at an unsafe temperature and slows the cooking of both. Keep them separate in the fridge and combine at the last moment.
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