📝 About This Recipe
Moghrabieh is a quintessential Lebanese comfort dish, often referred to as 'Lebanese Couscous' for its large, hand-rolled semolina pearls. This soul-warming stew features tender chicken and melt-in-your-mouth pearl onions bathed in a deeply fragrant broth seasoned with caraway and cinnamon. It is a celebration of Levantine spices and textures, offering a unique, earthy flavor profile that is both sophisticated and deeply nostalgic.
🥗 Ingredients
The Chicken and Broth
- 1 kg Whole Chicken (cut into 4-6 pieces)
- 1 large Cinnamon Stick (whole)
- 3 pieces Bay Leaves
- 5-6 pieces Whole Peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons Salt (or to taste)
The Moghrabieh Pearls and Aromatics
- 500 grams Dried Moghrabieh Pearls (large Lebanese pearl couscous)
- 500 grams Pearl Onions (peeled; can use frozen if fresh is unavailable)
- 1.5 cups Cooked Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 3 tablespoons Butter (clarified butter or ghee preferred)
- 2 tablespoons Caraway Powder (the signature spice of this dish)
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
For Garnish
- 1/4 cup Pine Nuts (toasted until golden)
- 1/4 cup Almonds (slivered and toasted)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
In a large pot, place the chicken pieces and cover with about 8-10 cups of water. Bring to a boil and carefully skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
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2
Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt to the chicken. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 45-50 minutes until the chicken is falling off the bone.
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3
While the chicken cooks, prepare the pearl onions. If using fresh ones, blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes to make peeling easier. Keep them whole.
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4
In a separate large pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the Moghrabieh pearls and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until they are lightly toasted and fragrant.
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5
Cover the toasted pearls with boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pearls and set aside.
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6
Once the chicken is done, remove it from the pot. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl; discard the whole spices. Shred the chicken into large chunks, discarding skin and bones.
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7
In the large pot used for the pearls, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the pearl onions and sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until they begin to caramelize and turn golden brown.
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8
Add the caraway powder, ground cinnamon, and allspice to the onions. Stir for 1 minute to bloom the spices in the butter.
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9
Add the drained Moghrabieh pearls and the cooked chickpeas to the spiced onions. Stir well to ensure every pearl is coated in the spice mixture.
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10
Pour in 4-5 cups of the reserved chicken broth. The liquid should cover the pearls by about an inch. Bring to a gentle simmer.
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11
Let the mixture simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. The pearls will absorb the spiced broth, becoming plump and flavorful, while the sauce thickens slightly.
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12
Gently fold the shredded chicken back into the pot during the last 5 minutes of simmering to warm it through.
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13
Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or caraway if desired. The final consistency should be moist but not like a thin soup.
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14
Transfer to a large serving platter. Garnish generously with the toasted pine nuts and slivered almonds.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always toast your Moghrabieh pearls before boiling; this prevents them from becoming mushy and adds a nutty depth to the dish. Don't skimp on the caraway; it is the defining flavor of authentic Moghrabieh and aids in digestion. If you can't find fresh pearl onions, frozen ones work perfectly and save significant prep time. If the dish looks too dry before serving, add an extra ladle of the reserved chicken broth to loosen it up. For an even richer flavor, use ghee (samneh) instead of regular butter when sautéing the onions and spices.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve hot with a side of plain yogurt or a cooling cucumber-yogurt salad (Kh'yar bi Laban). A crisp Lebanese salad like Fattoush provides a refreshing acidic contrast to the warm spices. Pair with a glass of chilled Arak diluted with water for a truly traditional experience. Extra spiced gravy can be served in a bowl on the side for those who prefer a 'wetter' dish. Leftovers are even better the next day as the pearls continue to absorb the aromatic spices.