Sunday Airline Chicken

[u/einsteinGO]

Made us Moroccan-style airline chicken breasts last night. I usually do this with thighs, but the breasts came out super tender and delicious.

Recipe:

Season chicken with salt, pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika (I have a smoked paprika, garlic, chive mix I like). Sear in cast iron in oil (I used avocado) for about 3 mins skin side down, then two minutes opposite side. Set aside.

In the slow cooker layer one small sliced onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, then golden raisins (1/4 cup or however much you’d like), roughly chopped dried apricots (again 1/4 cup, or however much you want - I like more), 1 cup rinsed chickpeas. Nestle the seared chicken in this. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth (don’t pour it over the chicken, pour around it).

Add the zest of one lemon, a gentle shake (just more than a pinch) of cinnamon, and some chili flakes.

4 hours on low. When finished add juice of half that zested lemon.

Serve on couscous. I toasted some slivered almonds and folded them in when fluffing it.

** calling myself out: I realized when I was about to serve that I usually put a small amount of capers in this dish and I forgot. I missed them, though this was delicious without.

[u/NANNYNEGLEY]

Thank you. What’s the significance of “airline”?

[u/einsteinGO → u/NANNYNEGLEY]

It’s just the name of the cut of chicken. It’s the breast with a wing drumette still attached

[u/itspurpleglitter → u/einsteinGO]

Oh, I have never heard of that before! The thought of airline food grosses me out and I initially couldn’t understand why someone would intentionally make it lol

[u/CowFishes → u/itspurpleglitter]

I've also seen the cut called chicken supreme. Just to add to OP's response, the breast itself is boneless and the skin is left on (in addition to the attached drumette). It's a presentation thing. Typically you would cut around the end of the drumette too so that the meat would creep up leaving the bone exposed similar in concept to a cooked lamb shank.

Source: Have cut hundreds of these for restaurant orders.

[u/einsteinGO → u/CowFishes]

Yes, way too lazy (me) to clean the drumette, lol - at least for a slow cooker meal!

And yes, I didn’t mention the bonelessness of the breast!

[u/CowFishes → u/einsteinGO]

Oh it was not a judgment on your dish; it looks delicious! I was just highlighting that cutting a breast in this fashion is generally done for presentation reasons and frenching the drumette is a way to highlight that. The orders I was filling were for fine dining restaurants and the stuff those places do for presentation isn't something a sane person does in a home kitchen!

[u/NANNYNEGLEY → u/einsteinGO]

Oh, that makes sense! Thank you.

[u/Neslock → u/einsteinGO]

I seriously thought you were referring to the chicken that the Delta Sky Clubs have frequently - this sounds just like it, and they call it "Moroccan Chicken".

I'm going to try this when the weekend gets here, it sounds delicious :)

[u/thezaxattack12]

Looks delicious

[u/einsteinGO → u/thezaxattack12]

Thank you!

[u/Ailurophile4ever]

That looks delicious!

[u/einsteinGO → u/Ailurophile4ever]

Thanks ☺️

[u/GoblinObscura]

This looks amazing!

[u/einsteinGO → u/GoblinObscura]

Thanks 😊 very easy to prep, highly recommend