Syrian chicken with ginger, lemon & saffron

serves 4 mains

difficulty easy

prep time 20mins (approx.)

total time 1hr (approx.)

13 comments

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Break out of your chicken jail with this braise – it’s a great one to add to your repertoire, especially if you’re starting to find chicken a bit of a yawn.

There are quite a few ingredients: the heady but gentle spices create layers of flavour, and there’s a lovely sweetness from the currants. Even so, it’s quick to cook, and awesome with rice or couscous to soak up all the delicious juices. You must try it.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1.4–1.6 kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces

100 ml extra virgin olive oil

2 brown onions, thickly sliced

100 grams ginger, cut into matchsticks

5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife

2 small red chillies, split

2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 pinches saffron threads

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

5 sprigs thyme, leaves only

1 lemon, juiced and zested

2 tablespoons honey

100 grams currants

2 tablespoons vegetable stock powder

½ bunch coriander, leaves only

couscous or rice, to serve

Method

Combine the salt, cumin, cinnamon, pepper and turmeric in a large plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake to coat.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, adding a little more oil, if necessary. Add the tomatoes, saffron, cumin seeds and thyme and cook for 2 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the lemon juice and zest, honey, currants, stock powder and enough water to just cover the chicken.

Cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through, and the sauce is slightly reduced.

Stir in the coriander and serve with couscous or rice.

Comments & Reviews13

Fern W
Aug 3, 2011

My husband tried to make this a month or so ago from a different recipe, it didn't have much flavour?... but he's trying again this weekend with your recipe. I'm guessing he "freestyled" a little too much.

dano
Aug 4, 2011

This sounds amazing, I'm going to make it tonight and I'll send through a picture.

Kris
Aug 11, 2011

I've been cooking this dish since it first appeared in one of the Sunday newspapers, probably about 5 years ago (??) and it is absolutely divine. This was the dish that got me hooked on your recipes!

Nene
Aug 16, 2011

Syrian chicken was a delicious feast for the senses! Cooked for good friends Saturday night- picked up 2 well brought up birds and transformed them into this exotic dish. Accompanied them with fluffy couscous tossed with pomegranates. Tweaked the recipe to throw them in the oven and forget about them for an hour or so while we had some pre dinner drinks. Will definitely make it again.

Jodie Cunningham
Nov 1, 2011

Now I will be able to find all your recipes, I am a huge fan of your food..

Katerina Tichy
Jan 14, 2012

I made this dish the other day for a group of friends. I didn't have currents and couldn't get a hold of fresh chilli's. So I used cranberry's and crushed peppers instead. Both worked well, the cranberry's gave the curry a sweet bite and the crushed peppers weren't to spicy but the dish did have a bit of spiciness. Thank you Karen I’ll be making this a weekly occasion to cook your fabulous recipes for friends.

Jennifer
Jan 22, 2012

This is a much cooked favourite over several years since it was first published in the weekend Age some years ago. Everyone loves it and I've shared the recipe with many friends after cooking it for them (always acknowledging Karen as its source of course!) - they in turn have cooked it for their friends and passed it on too. I sometimes remove the chicken skin, always reduce the oil by about half and cut back on the ginger a little. I also use liquid vegetable stock because it's what I usually have on hand.

Kirsten
Apr 14, 2012

Love this recipe it's a favourite at our house since it appeared in the Sunday age years ago. It's easy to!

KH
May 28, 2012

A friend recommended this recipe and I cooked it for the first time last night. I was out of fresh tomatoes so I used a small tin of tomato paste, and while I'm sure the original recipe is nicer, this was still incredible. The spices infused into the chicken were just ambrosial. The coriander added just before serving was such a fresh, light hit. Best new recipe I've tried in ages -- just divine Karen, thank you!

Di morts
Jun 1, 2012

I have made this dish soooooooooooooo many times years ago that i saw it in the age. its very withered in my recipe book. I cannot rave enough about it. Yes, its a little time consuming but at the end ...... oh my. And i have given it to many people who also have the same reseult. THANKS Karen!!!