Serves 6
120 min
North African Chicken and Spinach Stew
Recipe GLPR9bb9fb87ab3181
A fragrant, warming stew featuring tender chicken seared until golden, combined with a silky spinach base infused with warming spices like cinnamon and paprika. The chicken is poached first to create a flavorful broth, then the cooking liquid is transformed into a savory stew with puréed vegetables and fresh spinach. Served alongside basmati rice with fresh lemon wedges for brightness.
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Ingredients
1 whole whole chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds)
3 stalks celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 medium medium onion, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
sea salt
10 cloves garlic cloves
6 tablespoons salted butter
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
10 ounces baby spinach, chopped (about 8 cups)
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
cooked basmati rice, for serving
lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Directions
Place the whole chicken in a large pot and cover generously with water. Add the celery, carrots, onion, and bay leaves. Season with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165F).
Carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a deep dish or bowl and allow any liquid to drain back into the pot. Strain the cooking liquid into a large bowl or measuring cup, discarding the solids except for the cooked vegetables. Remove and discard the bay leaves, then transfer the cooked celery, carrots, onion, and garlic cloves to a blender. Purée until completely smooth, adding a splash of the reserved stock if needed. Set the purée aside.
To prepare the spinach stew, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the vegetable purée and warm through for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, the cracked black pepper, and the cinnamon stick. Add the chopped spinach and cook, stirring, until completely wilted, about 2 minutes. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook for approximately 15 minutes so the flavors meld together. Remove from heat and keep warm. Just before serving, remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
While the stew is cooking, let the chicken cool until you can handle it comfortably. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Carve the chicken into 8 pieces: remove both thighs, both wings, and both breasts. Cut each breast crosswise into two pieces. In a small bowl, combine the granulated onion, granulated garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt. Place all the chicken pieces in a large shallow dish and coat thoroughly with the dry spice mixture, rubbing it onto all surfaces.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Once the butter is hot and foaming, carefully add the spice-coated chicken pieces in a single layer. Sear without moving for about 4 minutes until the chicken develops dark golden-brown spots. Flip each piece and cook the other side for about 4 minutes until similarly charred. Remove the skillet from heat.
To serve, place a portion of cooked basmati rice on each plate. Arrange one or two pieces of seared chicken alongside the rice. Ladle a generous amount of the warm spinach stew around the chicken and rice. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, squeezing fresh lemon juice over the plate just before eating if desired.
