I bought some Harissa Spiced Couscous- my first time using this brand. The one I usually buy is plain and uneventful especially in light of my need for a spruced up meal. The Harissa is available at Pick and Pay in South Africa for about R30. A bit steep but hella worth it! I can testify. It comes already spiced Moroccan style which adds so much flavor to a usually bland grain.
I prepared the Couscous in a bowl, by adding hot water to it, in the ratio of 2:1 and covering it (eg. 200g water to 100g of Couscous). The grain swells so expect your portion to double. While the Couscous 'cooks', finely dice some bell peppers, I chose Red and Green, though yellow adds some bright colour. Dice some cucumber and some mint. Quantities? It's up to you but I used 1/6 of each pepper, 1/4 cucumber and a fistful of mint- my fist is small;-)
Keep checking the Couscous; when all the water has been absorbed, let it cool. Then add the dry ingredients and mix. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon. Then chill the salad- ENJOY!
(My chicken is grilled in its own oil, with Portuguese spice and glazed with honey. LIFE. IS. GOOD)
You know what, I don't have an oven and for me roasting chicken is STUNDHAD! I'm so afraid to fry it, because it always comes out dried up. What am I doing wrong? You always fry gowjuss juicy and tasty chicken!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
Thanks for reading my blog and especially for the participation! Yey! Like you, I prefer to grill my chicken because you can slow cook it in its juices and maintain the succulence, also it is healthier. Generally the meat on the bone is more tender and will maintain its moisture and tenderness better. When you shallow fry these bony pieces (which I recommend instead of deep frying for health reasons), fry on low to medium heat and add a little water here and there and cover with a lid. The tricky part is when you are frying the chicken breast as this meat is very stringy. Fortunately the breast cooks quick, so rather than low heat, use medium to high heat and sizzle the pieces- do not allow the chicken to boil unless you are making a stew or saucy dish, in which case you can simmer the chicken till it is tender. Also when the stir fry chicken is almost cooked, add some moisture in the form of soy sauce or oyster sauce for example just before serving. So to summarise:
- For bony chicken, cook at medium heat, in shallow oil and add a little water as it fries to keep it moist.
- For the breast, sizzle the chicken at a higher heat while mixing to prevent burning and it drying up until cooked. For stews and sauces, allow the chicken to simmer till tender.
There are numerous tricks, but this is what I do