Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Brown the chicken
Cut the chicken thighs into pieces about 3 cm in size and pat them dry. Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with some of the salt and the pepper, and cook for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on several sides. Transfer to a plate.
Soften the vegetables and toast the spices
Finely chop the onion, dice the carrot, and mince the garlic. Add the onion and carrot to the same skillet and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion softens and the carrot is lightly browned around the edges. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and paprika; stir for 30 seconds.
Simmer the chicken with the apricots
Cut the dried apricots into quarters. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the apricots and 300 ml of chicken stock. Stir, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 12 minutes. The liquid should bubble gently.
Cook the pearl couscous
Halve the olives. Add the pearl couscous, olives, and remaining 200 ml of stock to the skillet. Stir, cover, and cook over low heat for 10–12 minutes. Stir once after 5 minutes. The couscous should be tender but still firm; if it is still hard and the liquid has been absorbed, add 30 ml of hot water and cook for another 2 minutes.
Finish with lemon and parsley
Check that the chicken is cooked through to the center, cooking it longer if needed until it reaches at least 74 °C. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining salt, taste, and adjust the acidity by adding a precisely measured additional 5 ml of lemon juice if needed. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley and serve hot.
