Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives

Long time, no blog! As you might know, Shea spent about 4 months in Greenland, and I have to admit that during that time I ate a lot of pizza and take-out. I am SO happy he is home, and SO happy to back in the kitchen cooking together!

When Shea was gone I discovered the deliciousness and cheapness of chicken thighs, so I had to show them off to him when he got home. I found this recipe and thought it looked perfect. 

I didn't have persevered lemons, so I used fresh lemons instead. It still turned out delicious. It is a spicy recipe, so be careful with the cayenne if you don't like spice!

Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives

Courtesy of Food52 at http://food52.com/recipes/1017-braised-moroccan-chicken-and-olives

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2.5pounds chicken legs and thighs
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 1/2cup small diced onion
• 1teaspoon minced ginger
• 1teaspoon minced garlic
• 1tablespoon ground coriander
• 1tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2teaspoon paprika
• 1/2teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2-3cups chicken stock
• 1/4teaspoon saffron
• 1/2cup green olives, rinsed
• 2preserved lemons, pulp removed; rind cut into strips
• 2tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet or over medium high heat. Dry the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the skillet in batches and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until slightly softened. Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper and stir together. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the spice mixture. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet so that 2/3 of the chicken is submerged. Add the saffron and stir to combine. Bring liquid to a simmer, cover the skillet and simmer on medium low heat 20-25 minutes. Add the olives and preserved lemons. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and turn the heat to high. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until sauce reduces slightly. Stir in the cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Serve chicken on a bed of couscous. Spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with cilantro.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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