Moroccan Braised Chicken with Olives and Wild Mushrooms
January 27, 2005
The only thing Moroccan about this dish is the spice blend used. I doubt you’d be able to find green olives and shiitake mushrooms in any other “Moroccan” stew! Also, a true Moroccan braise would use preserved lemons rather than the fresh lemons found here. Still, this was a favourite of the morning class at Adventures in Cooking.
Moroccan Braised Chicken with Olives and Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. coriander seed, crushed or ground
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. cayenne
pinch saffron threads
1 lemon, sliced
½ cup green olives, pitted
½ cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 can chickpeas, drained
12 oz. shiitake mushrooms, or other, sliced
3 – 4 Tbsp. cilantro
slivered almonds, toasted
Directions:
1. Pre-heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. Season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Set aside.
2. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, cinnamon, saffron, and cayenne pepper and continue to sauté for another minute. Add the lemon slices and green olives and continue the cooking for another minute or two.
3. Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely disappeared. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Return the chicken thighs and legs to the pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to very low and braise for 10 minutes.
5. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan along with the chickpeas. Continue to simmer gently, covered, for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.
6. Heat a separate sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper, until just tender. Add the mushrooms to the braise along with the fresh cilantro and stir until well combined.
7. Serve the chicken over couscous and garnish with more cilantro and toasted slivered almonds.
Optional: can add dried fruit like apricots or prunes to the dish.
Serves 4