Diana Henry’s Moroccan chicken and rice recipe is a good one to know: a modest amount of prep produces a super flavorful, one-pan wonder of a dish that feeds a small crowd. There’s no browning of the chicken first to render the fat and crisp up the skin — everything just gets added to the pot and baked uncovered for 40 minutes. The method yields beautifully brown chicken skin, juicy meat, and cooked rice. But what if you don’t eat chicken? I do, but this is a dish or, rather, the flavors of this dish are something I would want to share with everyone: the combination of spicy, smoky harissa with sweet dates and fresh orange is irresistible. Topped with roasted vegetables or sautéed greens or a poached egg, this rice could be a nice foundation for many a hearty vegetarian meal. Recently I tried making the dish exactly as written but without chicken, and while it worked, it didn’t work perfectly: without the layer of protection from the chicken (and the extra moisture it provides), the rice, especially around the edges, got a little too crispy—too burnt, I would imagine, for many people’s liking. (Ben and I ate every kernel.) The pan, moreover, was a pain to clean.
Two Ways to Make Instant Pot Rice with Dates and Harissa
Both methods work beautifully, but if I had to pick a winner, I’d say the Instant Pot, which really excels at rice cooking, has a slight edge—the kernels were just a teensy bit more firm, which I liked. Here’s how you make this Moroccan rice: Gather your ingredients: onion, garlic, harissa, dates (love Rancho Meladuco Date Farm), white basmati rice, orange, and bay leaf. The flavor of the freshly squeezed orange juice and zest are so nice here. Chop, rinse, zest, and juice away! For the stovetop method: Sauté an onion. Add the garlic and harissa. Stir. Add the rice. Stir. Add the dates and orange zest. Stir. Juice an orange into a liquid measure; then add enough water to create 1 1/3 cups liquid. (This is for 1 cup of rice.) Bring to a simmer, cover, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let stand at least 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving. Ta-da! Instant Pot Method: Use the sauté function to sauté the onion. Add the garlic and harissa. Add the rice. Add the dates and orange zest. Juice an orange into a liquid measure; then add enough water to create 1 cup of liquid. (This is for 1 cup of rice.) Add the liquid, stir, cover pot, cook using the manual, high pressure setting for 6 minutes, then let the valve release naturally for at least 20 minutes. Ta-da! I think the Instant Pot rice (left) has a slight edge over the stovetop rice (right), but the flavor of each is so good and the difference is subtle. This was the batch I made in the oven. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but there are a lot of crispy (burnt) pieces of rice, which I kind of love, but which I think many people would not. 5 from 2 reviews 5 from 2 reviews
