Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives
Course: DinnerCuisine: MoroccanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes40
minutesI love that my kids aren’t picky. I have never been a short order cook. They get to be involved in the menu planning for the week. This recipe comes from a favorite site, Food 52. The recipes and what they sell are all super. This recipe was amazing. We gobbled it up. The flavors are out of this world and it was the perfect dish on a cold, wet, night.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 pounds chicken legs and thighs, bone in/skin on
1 teaspoon or more Kosher salt
1 pinch or more freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups diced onions
1 heaping teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup green pitted olives
2 preserved lemons: one chopped and one pulp removed cut into strips
2 Tablespoons cilantro plus more for garnish
Directions
- Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Place in skillet in batches if needed. Brown on all sides, remove and place on plate.
- Add the onions and cook until slightly softened. Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne and stir together. Add the chicken pieces back into the pan and stir to coat with onions and spice mixture. Pour the chicken stock into the pan so that 2/3 of the chicken is covered by stock. Add the saffron and stir till combined. Bring to a simmer, cover the Dutch oven and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes.
- Add the olives and preserved lemons. Cover and cook an additional 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a clean plate and bring liquid to a boil and cook another 8 minutes until sauce reduces slightly. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and a few turns of the pepper.
- Serve on warm plates on a bed of cous cous, rice or polenta and spoon sauce on top and garnish with more cilantro.
