MOROCCAN CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH PRESERVED LEMON
MOROCCAN CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH PRESERVED LEMON
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes or chicken tenders
1 teaspoon each: cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika*
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
2 cloves minced garlic
1 red pepper,1 yellow pepper -large dice
1/3 cup almonds coarsely chopped
2 T chopped parsley
3 T olive oil
1/4 cup preserved lemon rind chopped coarsely
12 extra large green olives , pitted
In a shallow glass bowl combine everything except the olives and peppers. With clean hands - rub the “paste” all over the chicken pieces to coat as evenly as possible. Cover and refrigerate for 4-8 hours- or if you are like me- as little as an hour- but the longer the better- to flavor and tenderize the chicken. Have ready 8 metal or wooden skewers (that have been soaked in water for at least an hour. )Thread a couple pieces of chicken then an olive -next a pepper, repeat - leave a good “handle” to use when turning the skewers. Coat the chicken with as much as the marinade as possible- the grilled almonds will add a nice crunch to this dish.
Make sure the grill is clean and oiled. Grill over hot coals, turning once, about 5-6 minutes per side. Don’t crowd them. Or, preheat a broiler pan, brush with oil, and place the skewers on the preheated pan and broil for 5- 6 minutes per side. Serve with couscous.
* These spices can often be found combined in gourmet food stores- as “tagine” spices -there’s no need for salt in the marinade as the preserved lemons are pretty salty. I have found preserved lemons at Whole Foods and at Middle Eastern Markets. Locally they can usually be found at Bills Imported Foods on Lake Street.