Braised Chicken with Artichokes and Olives

By á-2338

Ingredients

• 8 organic boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 11/2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Generous pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 cinnamon stick, or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups organic chicken broth, homemade (page 56) or store-bought
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and mixed with a spritz of lemon juice and a pinch of salt
• 8 thawed frozen or jarred artichoke hearts (see note), quartered
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives, such as picholine or manzanilla
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or cilantro

Preparation

Step 1

Pat the chicken dry and season salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, working in batches if necessary, and cook until well browned on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Decrease the heat to medium. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in 1/4 cup of the broth to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the pot. Stir in a pinch of salt and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the remaining 1 3/4 cups of broth, the lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and olives and stir gently to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste; you may want to add another squeeze of lemon juice or pinch of salt. Garnish with the mint.