Braised Chicken
SERVES 10
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 10 chicken thighs
- 10 chicken drumsticks
- Salt
- 1 3/4 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 3 onions, sliced
- 9 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 orange, peeled in large strips
- 2 lemons, peeled in large strips
- 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 1/2 cups pitted black olives (preferably oil cured)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates
- 8 cups chicken stock
GET COOKIN'
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- In a bowl, mix the turmeric, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on high.
- Season the chicken on all sides with salt and rub dry spices onto chicken.
- When the pan is smoking hot, add chicken, skin side down, and sauté on all sides until golden. Sear the chicken in small batches for best results. Do not cook the chicken all the way through, only brown the outside.
- Remove chicken from pan, and lower the heat. Add onions and garlic and sweat for 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Add orange peel, lemon peel, and cinnamon sticks. Stir mixture and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, and then add the olives, honey, and dates.
- Arrange chicken pieces on top in one layer, pour chicken stock halfway up the sides of the chicken, and bring liquid to simmer. Cover pot and place in oven for 1 hour, or until chicken is tender. Add salt to taste.
HINTS & CLUES
- Brined olives, like kalamata, can be used in place of oil cured olives, just keep in mind that salt may not need to be added at the end because of the saltiness of the olives.
