Chicken Simmered with Olives
If you prefer, you can substitute a cut-up 3 ½-pound whole chicken for the chicken thighs. When you season the dish, keep in mind that the olives and the preserved lemon will affect the saltiness.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 small chicken thighs
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 preserved lemon, rinsed and diced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander
- 1 7 ½-ounce jar pimiento-stuffed olives, drained
- 2 cups cooked couscous or rice
Add the oil to a deep 3 ½-quart nonstick skillet and bring to temperature over medium heat. Brown the chicken, frying it for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.
Add the onions and sauté until transparent. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper; stir into the onions and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicken back to the pan; pour the tomatoes over the chicken and sprinkle the lemon over the tomatoes.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Sprinkle the parsley, coriander, and olives over the top; cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve warm over cooked couscous or rice.
Preserved Lemons
To make preserved lemons, cut 5 lemons into partial quarters, leaving them attached at one end; rub kosher salt over the outside and cut sides of the lemons, and then pack them tightly in a sterilized 1-quart glass jar. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and enough lemon juice to cover the lemons. Seal and let set at room temperature for 14 days, inverting the jar once a day to mix. Store indefinitely in the refrigerator.
