Moroccan-Inspired Braised Chicken

1 tsp smoked paprika
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
unrefined sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper

8 bone-in chicken thighs

2-3 tbsp extra light olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger root
½ cup dry white wine
2 tsp tomato paste
½ cup sulfur-free dried apricots
½ cup kalamata olives
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 can 14-oz chopped tomatoes (400g)
½ -1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp honey
1 bay leaf

1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves

To prepare the chicken thighs, combine the paprika coriander, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne in a small bowl. Then, wash and dry the chicken thighs and trim off the excess fat and skin. Place in a sheet pan and season the chicken on both sides with the spices, salt and black pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes.

To brown the chicken thighs, heat a large heavy-bottomed pan with lid. When the pan is hot, add enough oil to coat bottom of the pan. Add the chicken, skin side down and cook until the chicken is brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total.

Once all of the chicken has been browned, turn off the heat, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Drain some of the excess oil and reserve the untouched pan for later use.

To cook the sauce, peel and chop the onions, emince the garlic (see video below) and mince the ginger. Cut the apricots in half, pit and halve the olives. Measure and gather the white wine, tomato paste, cooked chickpeas, canned tomatoes, chicken stock, honey and bay leaf.
Using the same pan, turn on the heat to medium. Add more oil if needed, then add the onions and sweat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute. Deglaze with white wine. Once the white wine has been reduced, stir in the tomato paste and stir to combine. Then, add the apricots, olives, chickpeas, tomatoes, half of the chicken stock and honey. Stir everything together and add the bay leaf. Place the chicken on the sauce on a single layer skin side up. If you need more liquid, add more chicken stock to cover the chicken by two-thirds. Bring the dish to a simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is tender for about 30-35 minutes.

Alternatively, you can also braise the chicken in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degree Celsius) oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is fork tender.

Once the dish is ready, season to taste with salt if necessary and let the dish sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

To serve the dish, remove the cilantro and mint leaves from the stem and roughly chop. Sprinkle over the dish and serve with steamed millet, couscous, soft polenta or pasta and an antioxidant salad.

Notes: 

Gluten-Free; Dairy-Free