Lebanese Moghrabieh
Moghrabieh is the beloved Lebanese chicken stew, full of aromatic spices and large couscous pearls by that same name, moghrabieh.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pounds chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on (such as thighs and/or breasts)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground caraway or fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon 7 Spice
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 32 oz (4 cups) chicken stock or broth
- 12 oz frozen or fresh pearl onions
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups dry moghrabieh, Lebanese couscous
- 32 oz (4 cups) chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- 1
In a large heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down.
- 2
Cook the chicken until the skin is deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and reduce the heat to medium.
- 3
Deglaze the pot by adding the chopped onion, minced garlic, and a teaspoon of the salt to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Tuck the chicken back into the pot, skin side up.
- 4
Season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the salt, pepper, caraway or fennel, and 7 Spice. Add the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Pour the chicken broth over the chicken along with an additional cup of water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam as it cooks.
- 5
Remove the chicken from the pot. Add the pearl onions and chickpeas. Bring the liquid to boil again, then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
- 6
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Add the lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and spices if needed.
- 7
Make the couscous. In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of chicken broth with the salt to boil. Add the dry couscous and bring back to boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pot while the couscous cooks until it is tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain any excess liquid if there is any. Add the butter to the couscous and stir until it is melted and the pearls are coated.
- 8
To serve the moghrabieh, spoon some couscous into each bowl, then ladle the chicken soup with pieces of chicken, onion, and chickpeas in each bowl. Dust the top of each bowl with parsley and serve immediately.