Moroccan Chicken Salad with Chickpeas and Apricots

It’s not in my nature to procrastinate. I’m very much of the “Why leave till tomorrow that which can be done today” mindset. But in the weeks and then days leading up to our move (which I promise to stop talking about soon), I became well versed in procrastination. Maybe it was because I was working so hard at the new house that I had no energy left to do any useful packing. Maybe it was because our closing and the move itself kept getting delayed so much, I never thought it would actually happen. In any case, two days before the move, I decided that a great way to avoid packing would be to make a new recipe, drag out plates, linens, etc. and take photos of it.

Even while I was making it, I was laughing at myself and wondering why I couldn’t tolerate just a few more days of take out. But really, I know exactly why. This is what I love. This is what gives me a sense of normalcy even when everything else seems chaotic and blurred. Of course it also helped that this meal was amazing. I’m not quite sure how I made it this long before ever cooking with garam masala, but I’m so glad to have finally tried it. All the different components in this dish combine to make an awesome meal – the crunchy almonds, sweet apricots and warm spices. It was definitely something new for me and I am so glad I tried it. I’ll be making this again, and often.

Yield about 6 servings

Ingredients

1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
½-¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
½ cup water
1 tsp. garam masala
½ tsp. ground coriander
Pinch smoked paprika
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
1 tbsp. honey
1½ cups (1 15 oz. can) cooked chickpeas, rinsed
1 shallot, sliced thin
¾ cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 oz. watercress
½ cup whole toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

Directions

01
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp. of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on the first side, about 6 minutes. Flip to the opposite side, add the water to the pan, and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through and registers 160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Slice into ½-inch thick slices on a bias. Let cool to room temperature.
02
Meanwhile, combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with the garam masala, coriander and paprika in a liquid measuring cup. Microwave for about 30 seconds until hot and fragrant. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the honey, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Whisking constantly, add in the remaining oil.
03
In a large bowl, combine cooled chicken, chickpeas, shallot, apricots, parsley and half of the dressing. Toss well to coat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into the dressing and whisk well. In a separate bowl, combine the romaine, watercress, and almonds and toss to mix well. (At this point, the components can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
04
When ready to serve, drizzle some of the dressing over the greens and toss to coat. Serve the chicken mixture over a bed of the greens, adding more dressing if necessary.

Source

barely adapted from The Make Ahead Cook by ATK