Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives

By Sonali, posted 9 months ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

This is a pitch-perfect take on a classic dish. Sonali assembles a mouth-tingling spice mixture of ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, saffron and then adds green olives and preserved lemons to the party. The chicken is browned in oil (it's worth taking your time with this step, as you don't want it to burn) and then coated in the spice base before simmering gently in chicken stock until tender. Adding the lemons and olives towards the end helps retain their integrity and perfume. You may want to discard some of the fat after browning the chicken (this will depend on the meat you buy) -- we kept about 2 tablespoons. And couscous is a must. We used our favorite Israeli couscous (which Amanda blogged about a while back) and it was such a perfect foil for the rich, spicy sauce that we couldn't resist forking up every last grain. - A&M

This flavorful dish was inspired by two of my favorite Moroccan ingredients- olives and preserved lemons. They work beautifully together in this dish to add a ton of flavor to the sauce. In addition, braising the chicken makes the meat wonderfully tender and juicy. Serve this dish over a bed of couscous to soak up all of the delicious sauce.

Serves 4

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

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.
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.
Serve chicken on a bed of couscous. Spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with cilantro.

Comments (26)Add yours

PaulaK about 1 month ago: I was looking for a good chicken recipe to try for dinner tomorrow. I think I have found it with this one! Luckily, I have a lot of these ingredients in my kitchen cabinet already. The only things I have to buy are the chicken and the lemons. I can't wait to try this recipe.
Sonali about 1 month ago: Great- let me know how it turns out!
maryvelasquez 7 months ago: I made this last night and I loved it. It was worth the effort to get a hold of the preserved lemons. I've never cooked with them before, but I will always have them around the house from now on. Thanks, Sonali, for the amazon.com tip.
melissav 8 months ago: We made this tonight and not only was it delicious but so easy. Definitely going into my weeknight rotation.
JWB 8 months ago: This is a delicious and simple dish. It hits all of the requirements for inclusion on the weeknight rotation: Fast, basic ingredients, enjoyed by all of my eaters, and a unique mix of flavors. I must admit to using fresh lemon instead of preserved, which I removed prior to serving. I will add preserved lemons to the pantry for future versions of this recipe. Thank you, Sonali.
Sonali 8 months ago: I'm so glad you liked it! I've also made the dish with real lemons but the preserved lemons definitely add a unique flavor!
faks_merchant 9 months ago: We tried this recipe and it was absolutely delicious!
faks_merchant 9 months ago: We tried this recipe and it was absolutely delicious!
sweet enough 9 months ago: this one has my vote. it looks sublime!
Laurieanne 9 months ago: This looks so delicious can't wait to make it.
Laurieanne 9 months ago: This looks so delicious can't wait to make it.
maryvelasquez 9 months ago: I never really know where to get or how to make my own preserved lemons. Suggestions?
Sonali 9 months ago: This may sound strange but I usually buy them online from Amazon.com because I can rarely find them in my local stores. There are a lot of good recipes online for homemade preserved lemons but you have to have patience because the process take a few weeks!
Adriana 9 months ago: Here's one preserved lemon recipe I just bookmarked--there's not much to it, though I've added peppercorns & bay leaves to mine in the past. If you know of any Middle Eastern markets in your area they will have preserved lemons. Maybe Whole Foods? That sounds like something Bread & Circus would have carried, alas.
Adriana 9 months ago: D'oh! Forgot the link: http://www.culinate.com/search/q,ctype=recipe,q=lemon,stype=/193755
Cordelia 9 months ago: You can try my recipe - http://www.food52.com/recipes/1195_preserved_lemons I make it all the time. worth the effort! Also, I would recommend that if you don't have preserved lemons just cut fresh ones with the peel and just add them in earlier when cooking. If you want to make sure they won't be too bitter, you can poach the slices in boiling water for a few minutes before adding them to the chicken.
maryvelasquez 9 months ago: Thanks for all of the suggestions!
maryvelasquez 9 months ago: I never really know where to get or how to make my own preserved lemons. Suggestions?
maryvelasquez 9 months ago: I never really know where to get or how to make preserved lemons. Suggestions?
maryvelasquez 9 months ago: I never really know where to get or how to make preserved lemons. Suggestions?
Cordelia 9 months ago: Well I wanted submit my own Moroccan chicken with olives recipe. But I did not. So you get my vote, I know it is tasty.
Cordelia 9 months ago: Well I wanted submit my own Moroccan chicken with olives recipe. But I did not. So you get my vote, I know it is tasty.
Cordelia 9 months ago: Well I wanted submit my own Moroccan chicken with olives recipe. But I did not. So you get my vote, I know it is tasty.
Cordelia 9 months ago: Well I wanted submit my own Moroccan chicken with olives recipe. But I did not. So you get my vote, I know it is tasty.
Cordelia 9 months ago: Well I wanted submit my own Moroccan chicken with olives recipe. But I did not. So you get my vote, I know it is tasty.
Cordelia 9 months ago: Well I wanted submit my own Moroccan chicken with olives recipe. But I did not. So you get my vote, I know it is tasty.
Sonali 9 months ago: Thank you. Your purple puree recipe looks great!
lastnightsdinner 9 months ago: Such a beautiful dish.
Sonali 9 months ago: Thank you!
Sonali 9 months ago: Thank you!

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Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Serves 4

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Braised Moroccan Chicken and Olives

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Serves 4

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Cooks' Rating:

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