A North African pesto-ish spicy herb sauce provides wonderful flavor for this one-pan dish.
Are you familiar with chermoula?
It’s the Moroccan answer to pestoa spicy herb sauce often used in North African cuisine.
Elise Bauer
Although chermoula is most often paired with fish, it’s excellent with chicken!
This recipe is an easy one-skillet dish, perfect for a midweek meal.
A cast iron pan works well for this because it easily goes from stovetop to oven.
Elise Bauer
I hope you give it a try!
Toast in a small skillet on medium heat, until fragrant.
Put into a mortar and pestle and grind until powdery.
Elise Bauer
With the motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup of olive oil, then the lemon juice.
Process until you have a smooth paste.
You should have almost a cup of chermoula sauce.
Elise Bauer
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium high heat in a large cast iron pan.
Pat dry the chicken pieces and place them skin side down in the hot pan.
Let them cook until deep golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Elise Bauer
Then turn them over and cook a few minutes more.
Because you are working with skin-on thighs, you will likely render quite a bit of fat.
Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off any excess fat.
Elise Bauer
(Do not pour down the drain unless you want to clog your drain pipes.)
Return the chicken to the pan.
Stir the reserved fresh chermoula sauce in with the pan sauce.
Spoon sauce over the chicken to serve.
Serve with couscous or withbasmati ricefor a gluten-free option.
