This Sicilian Chicken With Couscous Tastes Best When You Use the “Brick Trick”

Name: This Sicilian Chicken With Couscous Tastes Best When You Use the “Brick Trick”
Cook time: 35 minutes
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts; split Salt; to taste 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 lemon 1 Vidalia onion; diced 6 or 7 threads of saffron 4 garlic cloves; minced 2 celery stalks; minced 2 ounces golden raisins 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or 1-pound plum tomatoes; seeded and diced 1 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 bunch flat leaf parsley; stems removed and leaves minced 2 bay leaves 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 6 to 7 whole allspice granules; or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1 2-inch stick cinnamon 1 1/2 cups couscous Juice and zest of 1 orange Freshly grated nutmeg; to taste Red pepper flakes; to taste Lemon wedges; for serving

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Francine Segan | Fri, 05/03/2024 - 05:40

Sicilian chicken with couscous / Photo: Francine Segan

Difficulty Level

Low

Cooking Time

35 minutes

Cost

Low

Couscous is a popular ingredient in Sicilian cuisine. Here the couscous is seasoned with aromatic spice influences brought to Sicily by the Arabs, who ruled the area starting in the ninth century. Saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves — combined with dried fruit and tomatoes — make for an unforgettable mix.

The pepper-crusted chicken adds just the right touch of heat to the sweet and aromatic couscous. To create a nice crust on the chicken skin, many s