Ras el Hanout Chicken with Muhammara

If you can't find Ras el Hanout at the store, most Middle Eastern or African spice blends would make a suitable substitute.

Ingredients

Chicken:

1 cup Greek yogurt

2 tbsp Ras el Hanout

3 garlic cloves, minced or grated

1 lemon, juiced and zested

2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp neutral oil (canola oil)

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

parsley leaves, roughly chopped

2 tbsp canola oil

2 yellow onions, sliced

Muhammara salsa:

¼ cup olive oil

1 shallot, roughly chopped

4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

½ cup toasted, slivered almonds

1 lb Roma tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons Aleppo chile pepper

1 tbsp Spanish smoked paprika

1 12-oz jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2-3 tsp salt

water as needed

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, Ras el Hanout, garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt, honey, and oil. Pat chicken thighs gently with a paper towel and place in a large ziplock bag.

2. Pour marinade over the chicken and seal the bag tightly. Shake the bag vigorously, then massage the marinade into the chicken, making sure that the marinade has fully coated every piece of chicken. Store the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 8 hours.

3. Make the muhammara salsa: In a medium sauce pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once the olive oil starts to shimmer, add shallots and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent from burning. Add almonds, tomatoes, Aleppo Chile Pepper, Smoked Spanish Paprika, and roasted red bell peppers.

4. Bring the mixture to a simmer, adding water to deglaze the pot if needed. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to break down and the almonds start to soften. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

5. Add red wine vinegar, pomegranate molasses, and salt to the pot and stir until incorporated. In small batches, puree the mixture in a blender. Start the blender on low and gradually turn it to high until the puree becomes smooth and thick. Serve on top of chicken. Reserve extra sauce for future use.

6. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat canola oil in an oven-safe skillet and sautee onions until soft but not browned. Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve the excess marinade liquid. Place chicken in the pan with the onions and bake until the internal temperature is 160°F, about 20 minutes.

7. Remove the pan from the oven and place the chicken in a covered casserole. Return onions and cooking liquid to the stovetop and heat over medium. Pour some reserved marinade liquid from the bag into pan slowly, making sure the mixture maintains its boil. Reduce the sauce until the onions are very soft and remove from the heat.

8. Slice chicken and serve with muhammara and onions. Garnish with parsley. Optional: serve with saffron rice.