Chicken and Eggplant Stew with Moroccan Flavors

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups sliced onions
• 12 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, hand-crushed and juice reserved
• 2 cups sliced red bell peppers
• ½ cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• 1 (4.5 pound) whole chicken, separated and breasts split and skinned
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram

Step 1

Gently heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the eggplant with a good drizzle of olive oil in a big bowl, then spread it out on a greased baking sheet. Roast it for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until it’s soft and nicely browned. Don’t forget to season with some salt and pepper once it’s out of the oven.

Step 2

While the eggplant is roasting, warm up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, cooking them gently until the onions turn soft and translucent, which should take around 10 minutes. Then sprinkle in all the spices—paprika, salt, coriander, fennel seeds, pepper, cumin, ginger, and turmeric—and give everything a good stir for about a minute to bring out their flavors.

Step 3

Pour in the tomatoes along with half of the reserved tomato juice, red bell peppers, white wine, and lemon juice. Bring this mixture up to a boil. Save the rest of the tomato juice to thin the stew later if it gets too thick.

Step 4

Nestle the chicken pieces in a single layer in the pot, spooning some of the tomato mixture over them. Let everything come back to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken over, cover again, and keep simmering until the chicken is cooked through — about 20 more minutes. You can check doneness by poking the thickest part of the thigh with a thermometer; it should read 165°F (74°C).

Step 5

Finally, stir the roasted eggplant and some fresh marjoram into the stew. Let it simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes so all those flavors can meld and the stew heats through. Serve it up warm and enjoy!