Best Moroccan Lemon Chicken With Olives Recipes

MOROCCAN LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oil a medium straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Dry the chicken breasts well and sprinkle evenly with the salt. Place the breasts skin-side down in the hot pan and cook undisturbed until deep golden brown, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken to the bone side and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove to a plate while you build the sauce.
• In the same pan, add the shallots and sweat, stirring occasionally, for a minute. Add the preserved lemon, olives and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the chicken broth and return to a simmer. Add the oregano and the chicken back to the sauce. Spoon some of the liquid over the chicken. Cover the pan and simmer gently until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F, about 25 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest in the sauce for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
• Serve the chicken with a generous helping of the sauce and sprinkled with chive blossoms if using.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH GREEN OLIVES AND LEMON

Steps:

• Cut 1 lemon into 8 wedges. Squeeze enough juice from second lemon to measure 2 tablespoons; set wedges and juice aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add next 5 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Add lemon wedges. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Add olives and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to skillet. Increase heat to high; boil uncovered to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.

STOVETOP MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Ahead of time if possible, combine the chicken with the onion, garlic, herbs, and spices, including half of the saffron. (Reserve the rest of the saffron for adding to the sauce at a later time.) If time allows, cover and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
• When ready to cook, transfer the chicken and onions (scrape every last bit out of your bowl) to a heavy-bottomed pot, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Cover and cook the chicken over medium or medium-low heat, gently stirring and turning the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken is tender enough to pinch off the bones. (This will take approximately one hour, but longer if using a free range chicken). Keep the heat adjusted so that the chicken doesn't scorch, and only add a little water if you feel you must. Typically the chicken will braise in its own juices.
• When the chicken is cooked, carefully transfer it to a plate and cover.
• Continue cooking the onion mixture and sauce over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquids evaporate and the onions can be mashed into a blended mass which separates from the oils. If your onions do not appear to be melding, you can give a few pulses with an immersion blender, but do not overprocess.
• Add the preserved lemon, olives, the rest of the saffron, and a few tablespoons of water, and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot to heat through, or place under the broiler to brown the skin.
• Place the chicken on a serving platter, pour the onion sauce over the top and sides, and garnish the top of the chicken with the quartered lemon and some olives.
• For casual meals, consider garnishing the chicken with a handful or two of french fries (patate frite), which may also be offered as a traditional side.
• Moroccan tradition is to eat by hand, using crusty Moroccan bread for soaking up the sauce.

CHICKEN WITH LEMONS AND OLIVES EMSHMEL

Steps:

• 1. The day before, using 4 cloves of the garlic and 2 tablespoons of salt prepare the chickens as directed below under Basic Method For Preparing Poultry, then marinate both chickens and livers in 1 teaspoon of salt, the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin, the spices, and the oil. Refrigerate, covered.
• 2. The next day, place the chickens, livers, and marinade in the casserole. Add 1/2 cup of the grated onion, the saffron, herbs, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, turning the chickens often in the sauce.
• 3. While the chickens are cooking, rinse and pit the olives. (If they seem a little bitter, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and drain.) Set aside.
• 4. Remove the chicken livers from the casserole and mash them fine. Return to the casserole with the remaining grated, drained onions. (This will give a good deal of heftiness to the sauce.) Add water, if necessary. Continue cooking 20 minutes, partially covered.
• 5. Rinse the preserved lemons (discarding the pulp, if desired) and quarter. Add the olives and preserved lemon quarters to the sauce when the chickens are very tender and the flesh falls easily from the bone. Continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes, uncovered.
• 6. Transfer the chickens to a serving dish and spoon the olives and lemons around them. Cover and keep warm. By boiling rapidly, uncovered, reduce the sauce to 1 1/2 cups. Add the juice of 2 fresh lemons to the sauce in the pan. Add more salt (and more lemon juice, if desired) to taste. Pour the sauce over chickens and serve at once.
• Basic Method for Preparing Poultry
• The timing in the recipe includes these steps:
• 1. Wash the chickens or other poultry in salted water and drain. Pound 4 cloves garlic and 2 tablespoons salt into a paste. Rub the paste into the cavity and flesh of the poultry, at the same time pulling out excess fat from under the skin and from the neck and rump ends. Pull out the thin translucent membrane from under the skin of the breast. Rinse the poultry well under running water until it no longer smells of garlic. (The garlic is used to rid the poultry of any bitterness that might spoil a sauce; it also brings out its flavor, much like MSG.) Drain the poultry well.
• 2. If you suspect that your poultry is tasteless on account of "scientific breeding," use a method invented by Janet Jaidi to improve its taste: Rub it with the spices to be used in the recipe, a little butter and oil, and marinate it overnight. (If you do this, remember that you may have to readjust the spicing of your sauce at the end.)
• 3. If you are using whole poultry, it must be trussed. Trussing poultry is easy: clip off the wing tips and discard; slip the ends of the legs into a horizontal incision made just about the rump (turkeys often come this way), or slip the legs into incisions made on the lower sides of the breast.
• Note: When stuffing turkeys or squabs or chickens, do not wash with garlic or salt.
• Paula Wolfert shares her tips with Epicurious:
• •Wolfert recommends using organic free-range chicken for its noticeably superior maximum flavor and moist texture. Free-range poultry is available at health food stores, an increasing number of supermarkets, and at dartagnan.com. •Like many Moroccan clay-pot dishes, this chicken can be prepared in a slow cooker with very good results. Wolfert recommends Rival's Versaware model because the crock pot can be removed and used on the stovetop or in the oven (available at rivalproducts.com).

MOROCCAN LEMON CHICKEN WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• In food processor, finely chop onion & garlic.
• Dredge chicken in flour.
• In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, then saute chicken & onion mixture until mixture has softened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in 1/2 cup water, the saffron, ginger, cumin, paprika, salt & lemon zest.
• Bring to boil, then reduce heat & simmer, covered, 35 minutes.
• Remove chicken from sauce & allow to cool a few minutes.
• Cut chicken into small pieces, then put meat back into sauce.
• To the sauce add lemon juice, olives, cilantro & pepper, & simmer gently 5 minutes.
• While chicken is cooking, in a medium saucepan bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil.
• Add couscous & bring back to a boil, then remove from heat & allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Spoon chicken mixture over couscous & serve.

MOROCCAN LEMON CHICKEN WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely chop onion and garlic. Dredge chicken in flour.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute chicken and onion mixture until mixture has softened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in one cup water, saffron, ginger, cumin, paprika, salt and lemon peel.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 35 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce and allow to cool a few minutes.
• Debone chicken and cut meat into small pieces. Put meat back into sauce with the lemon juice, olives, cilantro and pepper. Simmer gently 5 minutes.
• While the chicken is cooking, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and bring back to a boil.
• Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Spoon chicken mixture over couscous and serve.