When we lived in Washington D.C., we loved to have a 7-course meal at Marrakesh. This recipe reminds me of one of those 7 decadent courses.
3-1/2 pounds of chicken pieces
3-1/2 T butter, divided
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut in wedges
8 oz tomatoes, quartered
1 C fresh parsley, chopped
1-1/2 t ground ginger
1-1/2 t ground black pepper
1 t turmeric
1 jalapeno pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/8 t saffron threads, crushed
5 small turnips, peeled and quartered
4 large carrots, peeled, quartered, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large acorn squash, peeled,seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 small zucchini, quartered, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 16-oz can garbanzo beans
2-1/4 C water
1-1/2 t salt
3 C cous cous
4 C chicken broth
Combine chicken and broth in a large Dutch oven. Simmer until chicken is cooked through,turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid, reserve liquid. Skin and bone chicken and cut into bite size pieces.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil in large heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute until tender. Add tomatoes and spices and stir 30 seconds. Mix in reserved cooking liquid, turnips, carrots, squash, zucchini and garbanzo beans. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 more minutes. Add chicken pieces to sauce and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Discard jalapeno.
Meanwhile bring 2 1/4 C water and 1-1/2 T butter and salt to boiling. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes; fluff with fork. Arrange couscous in center of serving platter. Drizzle couscous with 3/4 c sauce. Spoon chicken and vegetables atop couscous. Serve, passing remaining sauce.