Moorish chicken and butternut squash stew
This Moorish chicken stew it’s an absolute treat. It feels to me like the type of dish that is served on a family gathering, something that feels a bit more special than an everyday meal. As well it has the right balance of meat, veg and carbs accompanied by a super fragant and deliciously sticky sauce.
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken legs (1kg) £1.69
100ml olive oil £0.23
1 large onion, thinly sliced £0.12
1 head of garlic, cloves divided £0.14
1 butternut squash, cut into quarters lengthways £0.79
50g chopped dates £0.20
1 tbsp cumin powder £0.08
1tsp cinnamon powder £0.05
1 tbsp tomato puree £0.04
1 chicken stock cube £0.04
Half tsp of turmeric £0.03
3 cms of ginger, sliced £0.10
1 litre water
1 bay leaf £0.05
220g semolina £0.44
Salt to season
TOTAL: £4 / 4 = £1
Preparation
Place a large pot over high heat, pour the olive oil and add the legs of chicken and the quarters of butternut squash. Season with salt and fry for about 5 minutes on each side of both the chicken and the butternut squash until nicely browned and set aside. If you pan is not big enough cook the chicken first and then the squash. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic cloves and ginger and fry for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until browned.
Add the dates, bay leaf, chicken stock cube, cinnamon powder, cumin, turmeric and tomato puree and fry while stirring for 3 minutes. Add the chicken back into the pot, add the butternut squash, season with a bit more salt and pour the water in. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes until its ready.
To prepare the couscous just put the semolina in a bowl and pour enough boiling water to just cover it. Wrap the top of the bowl with cling film and let it absorb and steam for 10 minutes while your stew finishes cooking. Remove the cling film, stir the couscous lightly with a fork and serve with the stew.
