RSS FeedGinger-Orange Chicken with Spicy Couscous
(Serves 6)
A delicious and convenient recipe for entertaining, as you prepare and cook the chicken the night before and then let it marinade in the cooking sauce overnight. It’s great for a picnic because you serve it at room temperature.
Ginger Orange Chicken:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons mango chutney
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
6 tablespoons sesame seeds
5 to 6 boneless chicken breast halves with skin on (number depends on size)
4 tablespoons butter, divided
Spicy Couscous:
1 box (10 ounce) couscous
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped (or 1 cup if in the shell)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
First, prepare the chicken: Combine orange juice, lemon juice, chutney, ginger, vinegar, orange peel, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a 13-by-9-by-2 inch glass baking dish and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
Place sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. If chicken breasts are very thick at one end, pound to more of an even thickness. If they are very large you can cut them in half. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper; roll skin side on seeds, coating well. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken breasts (or as many as will comfortably fit into your skillet), skin side down, and cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully so that the sesame seeds don’t burn. Turn over and cook 2 minutes longer. Place chicken breasts, skin side up, in mixture in baking dish. Thoroughly clean out skillet (otherwise the second batch will burn) and repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and chicken breasts.
Cover chicken in glass baking dish with foil and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and let chicken cool for around 1 hour in marinade at room temperature. Leave chicken in marinade in dish, cover and chill overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
The next day, prepare the couscous: Combine couscous, apricots, cinnamon and allspice in a large bowl. In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups water, olive oil and salt to a boil; remove from heat and stir in couscous mixture. Cover and let stand until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. When ready to serve, uncover, stir couscous with fork to break apart, then mix in chopped nuts, green onions and basil and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve at room temperature. Best if not made too far ahead.
To serve, mound the couscous on a serving platter. Place the chicken breasts on top. Spoon sauce from the chicken over the top.
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