Couscous Tfaya with Chicken Thighs & Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Chicken Thighs
• 2 cups Butternut Squash, in large chunks
• 1½ cups couscous
• 3 large onions, sliced thin
• ½ cup raisins, soaked in warm water
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Pinch saffron in 2 tbsp warm water
• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• 3 cups stock
• ¼ cup toasted almonds
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Simmer the Chicken Thighs with the stock, ginger, saffron water, half the cinnamon, salt, and pepper, covered, 25 minutes. Add the Butternut Squash and cook 15 more until both are tender. Keep the broth hot.
2. In a separate wide pan, cook the onions in 2 tbsp butter over medium-low with a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, 25–30 minutes. They should collapse to a fraction of their volume and turn the color of caramel — rushing this on high heat gives you burnt edges and raw centers.
3. Add the honey, remaining cinnamon, and drained raisins to the onions and cook 5 minutes more until sticky and glossy. That's the tfaya.
4. Stir 1½ cups of the hot broth into the couscous with the remaining butter and a pinch of salt, cover, and leave 8 minutes. Rake it with a fork — no lumps, every grain separate.
5. Mound the couscous, nest the Chicken Thighs and Butternut Squash in the center, blanket with tfaya and almonds, and pass the remaining broth to moisten each plate.