Chicken Rfissa

Chicken Rfissa is a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken and lentils served over a bed of shredded msemen bread that I decided to make for a Spanish wine pairing potluck. The dish was a big hit! It also paired well with the 2009 Montecillo Albarino I chose.

My recipe is a dutch oven recipe (this filled up my 5 quart round dutch oven) that was more or less developed from the following recipes:

http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/Rfisa.htm
http://www.food.com/recipe/rfissa-moroccan-chicken-with-lentils-274177
http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/pancakes/r/Msemen_recipe.htm
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:
1 (full recipe) msemen bread
5-6 Pound whole chicken

Marinade:
1 Lemon
2 Large Yellow Onions
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of peeled and pureed ginger (1 large piece)
1 heaping tablespoon ras el hanout spice mix (I used this one by Zamouri Spices)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric

Lentils:
1/2 cup uncooked lentils, soaked for 3-4 hours and drained
2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds, soaked for 3-4 hours and drained
1 teaspoon saffron threads, heated gently and then crumbled
1 small handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 cups water
1 teaspoon ghee (I used this instead of smen)

1. Mix salt, pepper, ras el hanout and turmeric.
2. Quarter lemon and 1 of the onions. Dice the other onion.
3. Wash chicken and remove giblets.
4. Stuff quartered lemon and quartered onion into chicken cavity.
5. Place chicken in dutch oven and coat in olive oil.
6. Rub chicken skin with dry spice mix.
7. Add diced onion and pureed ginger to dutch oven and distribute evenly around chicken.
8. Cover chicken and leave in the fridge to marinate at least 2 hours or over night (I marinated mine for about 7 hours).
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9. Turn oven on to preheat to 350°F. Heat chicken (still in the dutch oven) on stove covered on medium heat until a rich sauce has formed for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Add the drained lentils, drained fenugreek seeds, saffron, parsley, cilantro and 3 cups of water (lentils and fenugreek should be submerged).
11. Cover and place in preheated oven for 2 hours.
12. Remove chicken from oven and test to see that it's done. Spoon lentils into a bowl and transfer liquid into a sauce pan. Reduce sauce to desired thickness over medium heat and if desired, add a few teaspoons of corn starch (dissolved in a bit of water) to thicken. Stir in spoon full of ghee.
13. Return chicken to oven uncovered and broil for a few minutes if crispy skin is desired, checking frequently to be sure that it's not burning.
14. To serve shred msmen and arrange on a large plate. Place chicken on top cut however you like. Top with lentils and some of the sauce, reserving some to serve on the side.