Moroccan Chicken in a Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 1.3 kg)
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 carrots, cut into 2cm pieces.
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 0.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cinnamon stick
• A quarter of a pickled lemon, coarsely chopped (remove the seeds)
• 1/4 cup pitted prunes, halved
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, halved
• 0.5 cups drained olives with pimento peppers + 1 tbsp brine
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for serving
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• Couscous for serving
• Harissa for serving

Preparation:

1. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Set the slow cooker to high heat for sauteing. Once hot, add the vegetable oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, 4 thighs at a time, and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, paprika, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to coat the vegetables. Add the cinnamon stick, pickled lemon, prunes, and dried apricots, then turn off the slow cooker.
3. Add 2/3 cup water and the olive brine to the slow cooker and stir thoroughly, scraping the bottom of the pot. Return the chicken to the pot, skin side up, in a single layer. Close the lid; make sure the steam valve is closed. Set the pressure cooker to high pressure for 8 minutes. Once the cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's instructions to allow the pressure to release naturally. After 10 minutes, carefully open the steam valve to manually release any remaining pressure. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the lid.
4. Transfer the chicken to a platter, reserving the liquid in the pan; discard the cinnamon stick. Stir the olives, cilantro, parsley, and vinegar into the remaining sauce in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken with the sauce over couscous, sprinkled with fresh parsley and garnished with harissa.