Ingredients
- 6 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 each large yellow onions -- thinly sliced
- 8 cloves garlic -- crushed
- 1 tablespoon ground tumeric
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 3 small dried red chiles -- stemmed and crumbled
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1 each dried bay leaf
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 4 each lemon -- juice and zest
- 2 cups canned chickpeas -- rinsed and drained
- 2 cups smalll green olives -- pitted
- 3 tablespoons cilantro -- chopped
Preparation
Step 1
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large dutch oven over medum-high heat. Work in batches and brown the chicken all over. About 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to plate and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, onion and cook stirring occasionally until onions are soft and golden 5 to 6 minutes. Add tumeric, cumin, coriander, chiles, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf. Cook stirring constantly until fragrant about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, lemon zest, an 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Carefully stir in chckpeas and olives. Increase heat to medium high and simmer uncovered stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened, and chicken is cooked through about 10 more minutes. Stir in 1 TBS of lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over Saffron couscous sprinkled with cilantro.