Tunisian Orange Chicken With Couscous - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (3 lb) whole chickens, cut in 8 pieces
1 large onion, cut crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick slices and separated into rings
1 cup celery, sliced
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 cup orange juice
2 large navel oranges, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup small pitted ripe black olives
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup couscous
watercress leaf, for garnish (optional)
1 navel orange, sliced, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

In a Dutch oven or large deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot. Add chicken pieces a few at a time, being careful not to crowd them. Cook on all sides until well browned. Transfer chicken to a platter. Repeat until all chicken is browned.
Discard all but 2 T. drippings from Dutch oven. To hot drippings remaining in Dutch oven, add onion, celery, and garlic; saute over medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, sugar, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper until blended.
Add chopped tomato, then gradually stir in orange juice. Increase heat to high; bring mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. Return chicken pieces to Dutch oven. Reduce heat to low; simmer covered until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes, turning chicken once.
Add orange slices and olives to chicken. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, prepare couscous. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring water, butter and salt to boiling. Stir in couscous; cover. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
With spoon, remove and discard any fat that has accumulated on the surface of the orange sauce. Uncover couscous and fluff with a fork. Transfer couscous to a large serving platter, making a well in the center.
Transfer chicken onto couscous, arranging in a decorative way. Spoon sauce remaining in Dutch oven over the chicken pieces. Garnish with sprigs of crisp watercress and orange slices.