Moroccan Couscous with Chicken and Vegetables

Source: Bon Appetit, March 1995

• 1 3.5 pound chicken cut into 6 pieces
  
• 4 cups canned chicken broth
  
• 3.5 tablespoons butter
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
  
• 1/2 pound plum tomates, quartered
  
• 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  
• 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
  
• 1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  
• 1 whole jalapeno chili
  
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
  
• 5 small white turnips (about 1.25 pounds), peeled, quartered
  
• 4 large carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise and then crosswise
  
• 1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 2-inch pieces
  
• 3 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then crosswise
  
• 1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (with juice)
  
• 1/2 cup raisins
  
• 2.25 cups water
  
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
  
• 3 cups couscous (about 18 ounces)
  

1. Combine chicken and broth in large Dutch oven. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, remove chicken from cooking liquid; reserve cooking liquid. Skin and bone chicken; cut chicken into bite-size pieces. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Chill chicekn and cooking liquid separately.)
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and next 8 ingredients and stir 30 seconds. Mix in reserved chicken cooking liquid, turnips, carrots, squash, zucchini, garbanzo beans with liquid and raisins. Cover and simmer until vegetables are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces to sauce and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Discard jalapeno.
3. Meanwhile, bring 2.25 cups water 1.5 tablespoon butter and salt to boil in medium saucepan. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.
4. Arrange couscous in center of serving platter. Drizzle couscous with 3/4 cup sauce. sppon chicken and vegetables atop couscous. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

• Be careful not to let zucchini get too "soft".
• Serves 6.