from Whitewater Cooks: Together Again
Clairence, as I like to affectionately call her, is the best cook and baker and lover of making life so beautiful and fun! She and her husband, Ross, really know how to live each day like they’re on a dreamy holiday, which is a pretty amazing thing. The green olive salsa is to die for as a dressing on your favourite greens.
Ingredients
Couscous Stuffing
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1½ cups chicken stock
¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 cup couscous
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup dates, finely chopped
½ cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 egg, lightly beaten
Green Olive Salsa
1½ cups pitted green olives, coarsely chopped (Castelvetrano or Cerignola if possible)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped, or ¼ tsp red chili flakes
¼ cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
Chicken
1 chicken (about 3½ pounds)
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
20 baby vine tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
Method
Couscous Stuffing
Heat oil in a small frying pan. Cook onion, stirring until soft. Remove from heat.
Combine stock, olive oil, lemon zest and juice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Add couscous to the stock mixture. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed, fluffing occasionally with a fork.
Stir in sautéed onion, nuts, dates, apricots, spices and egg and mix well.
Green Olive Salsa
Combine all ingredients and set aside.
Chicken
Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Fill the cavity with couscous stuffing.
Set the chicken in a roasting pan, rub all over with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast for 90 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes.
Place tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and roast for about 20 minutes while chicken is resting.
Serve the chicken with the roasted tomatoes, green olive salsa and couscous.
SERVES 4-6
Note: You can also put any extra couscous in a heatproof dish, cover and heat it in the oven for 30 minutes while the chicken and then tomatoes are roasting.
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: You’re having a small group for Thanksgiving and a turkey seems like overkill. Don’t fret…this smaller poultry presentation will be equally impressive and tastes amazing.
Used with permission by Shelley Adams. Photo credit: David R. Gluns / Whitewater Cooks. https://whitewatercooks.com/
