Chicken with Dates, Red Wine and Saffron
Braised chicken with dates, red wine and saffron is a gorgeous main course with layers of bold, slightly sweet and savory flavors.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 655kcal
Cost: $15
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil such as grapeseed oil
- 2 pound bone in, skin on chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 yellow or white onion sliced thin
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Pinch of saffron
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups chicken stock low sodium, preferred
- 2 tablespoons date molasses
- ½ cup dried dates cut in half
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry and season well with salt and pepper and dredge in cornstarch.
- In a large dutch oven or pot, drizzle with oil and bring up to medium-high heat and brown chicken on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side. Reserve chicken to plate. It will be undercooked in the center, and that's ok.
- In the same pot, add carrots and onions and saute until onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, turmeric, cumin, red pepper and saffron and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring everything together.
- Pour in red wine and use a spatula to scrape any bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce slightly. Add chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of date syrup and bring to a boil and reduce to a constant simmer. Add chicken back into the sauce, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 25-30 minutes.
- Add dates and continue cooking for a few more minutes to dates soften. The sauce should have reduced down but still be pourable. If the sauce is too thin, remove chicken and continue reducing sauce.
- Once done, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve chicken with sauce, dates and vegetables.
Notes
If you don't have date molasses, pomegranate molasses is a good substitute or you can omit it altogether.
The original photos show the recipe with thighs and drumsticks, use whatever cut you can find, though bone in will keep the meat tender.
Nutrition
Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 937mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 7881IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg