Moroccan-spiced chicken and jeweled rice

Serving Size

Serves 4

Time

60 minutes

Date

10.31.18 More info+

Dark meat adds juiciness and B vitamins.

This colorful dish is ideal for entertaining, and it’s deceptively simple to put together. Antioxidant-rich pomegranate seeds, dates, and pistachios dress up the rice. “You can also swap the rice for shredded kale, Swiss chard, or cabbage and serve it as a salad,” says Laura Rege, a New York City-based recipe developer. North African spices, including coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon, bring a rich earthiness to the chicken.

Photography and styling by Jenny Huang

Ingredients

For the rice:

¾ cup

basmati rice

¼ teaspoon

salt

Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

⅓ cup

pomegranate seeds, plus more for topping

½ cup

packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

⅓ cup

chopped toasted pistachios

1 teaspoon

finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon

fresh lemon juice

For the chicken:

½ teaspoon

ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon

ground coriander

¼ teaspoon

ground turmeric

⅛ teaspoon

ground cardamom

½ teaspoon

ground cumin

Large pinch cayenne pepper

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

large chicken thighs

Extra-virgin olive oil

carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine rice, 1 cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the chicken spices with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon oil and season with the spice mixture. Toss carrots with one more tablespoon of oil and season with salt.

Step 3

Arrange the chicken and carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake about 25 minutes, until chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.