Moroccan Chicken Stew

A little extra time seemed like a good reason to make dinner in advance and this stew is happy to wait in the fridge, and a good way to use a few kumquats from our tree. I browned the chicken (4 thighs) on both sides in olive oil and set it aside, and then sautéed a chopped onion in the same pan. When the onions was soft I added in chopped butternut squash (about 3/4 lb) and cooked for a couple minutes longer and seasoned the mixture with cumin (1/4 tsp), cinnamon (1/4 tsp), and saffron (a pinch). I poured in a good cup of chicken broth and brought everything to a boil. The chicken went back into the pot along with 2 ounces each of pitted prunes and kumquats seeded and quartered lengthwise and 1 heavy TB of honey. Everything simmered in the covered pot until the chicken and squash were cooked through -- about 30 minutes. When it was time to serve I just cooked up some couscous and heated up our sweet and spicy stew.

Make-ahead magic.