Curried Chicken and Zucchini
Featuring tender morsels of chicken and sweet zucchini spears bathed in a rich and savory sauce, all served over a bed of highly seasoned couscous and then punctuated with a bright hit of cilantro and lime, curried chicken and zucchini is truly a feast for the senses. And despite the intensity of flavor, it is relatively simple to prepare. Adapted from a recipe originally published by Gourmet magazine circa 2005, this version is somewhat simplified, but without sacrificing any flavor.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into roughly equal sized slices (about ½ thick)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
- 2 or 3 small zucchini cut into roughly equal sized spears (about 2 inches long by ½ inch thick)
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 10 ounces couscous
- ½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sauté in two batches until just cooked through and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. When the butter has melted, add the zucchini and season it lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté the zucchini, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to the plate with the chicken and set aside.
- Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the garlic and curry powder. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about another 2 minutes.
- Transfer half of the onion mixture from the skillet into a large saucepan with a tightly fitting lid and set aside. Then stir 1½ cups broth into the remaining half of the onion mixture in the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then cook until reduced by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream to the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, add 2 cups of broth and 1 tablespoon of butter to the onion mixture previously set aside in the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and ½ teaspoon of salt. Then give it a quick stir. Cover the saucepan with the lid and remove from heat. Let the couscous stand for at least 5 minutes.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the chicken and zucchini to the skillet, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Stir gently and allow everything to warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the top. Finally, fluff the couscous with a fork. (And stir in a little extra butter, if desired.)
- To serve, spoon the chicken and zucchini over a generous bed of couscous to soak up all that sauce, and place a juicy wedge of lime alongside.