Moroccan Spiced Chicken

This has fast become a favorite of ours.  Not only because of the exceptional taste, but also because this dish comes together fast.  Really Fast.  Perfect  for a weeknight; impressive enough to serve to company.  I’d recommend doubling the sauce and serving the chicken with rice, making sure to drizzle some of that extra sauce on the rice.

The recipe came from a Gourmet magazine and was entitled “Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Paillard”.  Paillard is a French term that means pounded thin and quickly cooked.  Which is the key to success with this dish.  Do both (pound thin, cook quickly over med-high heat) and you’ll have succulent, tender piece of chicken every time.

Moroccan Spiced Chicken (adapted from Gourmet Magazine, February 2006)

Serves 4

For Sauce:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. dried red hot pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

For chicken paillards:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, more if needed
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin, each breast cut in half (so 8 pieces), patted dry

Start Sauce:

1. Add all sauce ingredients except butter in sauce pan, simmer for 2 minutes, stirring.  Set aside.

For Chicken:

1. Add cumin, paprika, salt and pepper to flour, mix well.  Dredge each piece of chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
2. Spray skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Add olive oil.  Heat on medium-high.  Add 4 chicken pieces.  Cook until nicely browned on each side; just a few minutes on each side.  Remove chicken to plate, cover with foil.  Repeat with remaining chicken pieces, remove to plate and cover.
3. Add sauce to skillet, deglazing skillet.  Add butter, stir to mix in.  Once thickened, about 1 minute, return chicken to skillet, turning once in sauce.  Serve.

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