Chicken Tagine with Viognier
By Kinhaven Winery
Viognier paired with spiced chicken tagine with saffron couscous, preserved lemon, castelvetrano olives, with honey poached apricots and almond slices.
“Why it works?”
Once spring hits we love grilling and dining outside, a family favorite is our Viognier paired with this complex tagine dish. It’s flavorful and fragrant – a colorful dish offering lots of texture that pairs lovely with all that Viognier has to offer. The floral notes of the Viognier play nicely with the warm, sweet spices of the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cardamom and saffron. The acidity of the Viognier and lush mouthfeel pairs beautifully with the richness and complexities of this dish, jumping from sweet, savory and salty with every bite.
Okay, let’s get a few things out of the way – this is not a traditional tagine but more of a Moroccan-inspired dish. We opt for Pearled couscous for its texture, flavor, and ability to holdup to the sauce and components.
First thing first is getting some flavor in that chicken. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the chicken marinade, letting it rest refrigerated in the marinade for 3 hours if possible before grilling.
Bone-In Chicken Thighs – roughly 8 pieces, or 3 pounds.
Ingredients:
Chicken Marinade
Salt 1 TBL
Cumin 1 TBL
Coriander 1 TBL
Paprika 1 TBL
Garlic 1 tsp
Ginger 1 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Cinnamon ½ tsp
Allspice ½ tsp
Cardamon ½ tsp
Lemon Juice ½ lemon squeezed
Neutral Oil ¼ Cup (Canola or Vegetable)
Pearl Couscous
EVOO 2 TBL
Butter 2 TBL
White Onion 1 Whole
Cinnamon ½ tsp
Fresh Garlic 3 TBL
Fresh Ginger 2 TBL
Cumin 1 TBL
Coriander 1 TBL
Paprika 1 TBL
Turmeric 1 tsp
Allspice ½ tsp
Cardamon ½ tsp
Tomato Paste 1 TBL
Saffron 1 Pinch
Chicken Stock 2 Cups
Pearl Couscous 1 Cup
Castelvetrano Olives ½ – 1 Cup Sliced and Rinsed
Preserved Lemon 1 Whole Chopped and Rinsed
Dried Apricot ¼ Cup Chopped (fresh when in season) or Golden Raisins ¼ Cup
Garnishes
Cilantro Leaves ½ Bunch Rough Chop
Mint Leaves 2 TBL Rough Chop
Brown Butter Almonds ½ Cup Sliced (or raw almond)
Directions:
In a large pan, heat oil and butter on medium heat for 1 minute, add onion sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, until onions are golden. Add garlic and ginger, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add spices, continuing to sauté the onions before adding the tomato paste. Pour in chicken stock, add the saffron, let it come to a boil then add the couscous before reducing the heat to low, cover and cook for about 14 minutes, or until the couscous is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in olives, preserved lemon and dried apricots or golden raisins. Put lid on, remove from heat, let rest while you grill the chicken (if you’re a one man show) – ideally have partner grill chicken while cooking the couscous. Pour or spread couscous into a serving dish and place grilled chicken on top. Cilantro and mint leaves with almond slices to garnish, pour glasses of Viognier and bon appétit!