RECIPE: Braised Chicken with Dates and Moroccan Spices

Every once in a while I make a recipe that literally blows my socks off.  This is such a recipe.  I found it thanks to Emily over at Cooking Inside the Lines and she experienced the same amount of love as I did, so you know it's good :)

So let me tell you about this dish.  It's interesting, sweet and elegant .  This is the dish you will want to make for guests and hope that you have leftovers for the next day, because it gets even better. Get some good fresh medjool dates (I got mine from Wegman's, if you have any leftovers you can always make this recipe!), as they are a main star of this dish.

This is how I made it below, and with my own suggestions.  Feel free to ignore me completely and follow the actual recipe from Bon Appetit.  I won't feel bad :) I bought the chicken from Wegman's and took out the skin, which meant I didn't have any fat to cook the onions in, so I just added a couple of tablespoons of oil.  Do whatever your preference is - it was fine without the skin.

Braised Chicken with Dates and Moroccan Spices
Adapted from here

Ingredients
     3 1/2 pounds chicken breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks
     1 tablespoon all purpose flour
     1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
     2 pounds shallots, peeled and chopped into quarters or smaller if you don't want them as pronounced in your dish
     1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
     1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
     1 teaspoon ground cumin
     1/2 teaspoon turmeric
     3 cups low-salt chicken broth
     5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
     12 dates, pitted, halved

Directions
- Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and flour.
- Heat olive oil in heavy large pot (I used my beautiful dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken pieces to pot and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to platter; repeat with remaining chicken.
- If you have fat in your pot, keep 2 tbl, if not, add some olive oi.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to pot; sauté until golden (NOT caramelized), about 6 minutes.
- Add cinnamon, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Increase heat to high; add broth and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until shallots begin to soften, about 18 minutes.
- Place chicken pieces atop shallots in pot. Bring to boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until juices run clear when thickest part of drumstick is pierced with knife, about 25 minutes.
- Transfer chicken and shallots to platter; tent with foil.
- Boil juices in pot until slightly thickened.
- Stir in dates and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Reduce heat and simmer gently until dates are heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Pour sauce and dates over chicken.