SERVES 4
Bone-in chicken parts can be substituted for the whole chicken. For best results, use four chicken thighs and two chicken breasts, each breast split in half; the dark meat contributes valuable flavor to the broth and should not be omitted. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon before juicing it. Make sure to trim any white pith from the zest, as it can impart bitter flavor. If the olives are particularly salty, rinse them first. Serve with Simple Couscous.
1¼ |
teaspoons paprika |
½ |
teaspoon ground cumin |
½ |
teaspoon ground ginger |
¼ |
teaspoon cayenne pepper |
¼ |
teaspoon ground coriander |
¼ |
teaspoon ground cinnamon |
3 |
(2-inch) strips zest plus 3 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon |
5 |
medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons) |
1 |
(3½ to 4-pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (4 breast pieces, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks), wings discarded, and trimmed |
Table salt and ground black pepper |
|
1 |
tablespoon olive oil |
1 |
large onion, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick |
1¾ |
cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1 |
tablespoon honey |
2 |
medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds, very large pieces cut into half-moons |
1 |
cup cracked green olives, pitted and halved |
2 |
tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves |
1. Combine the paprika, cumin, ginger, cayenne, coriander, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Mince 1 of the lemon zest strips, combine with 1 teaspoon of the minced garlic, and mince together until reduced to a fine paste; set aside.
2. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces, skin side down, until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces and brown on the second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot.
3. Add the onion and the 2 remaining lemon zest strips to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion slices have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add 1 tablespoon water if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened and very fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the broth and honey, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the thighs and drumsticks, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the carrots and breast pieces with any accumulated juices to the pot, arranging the breast pieces in a single layer on top of the carrots. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the breast pieces register 160 to 165 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with aluminum foil. Add the olives to the pot; increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until the liquid has thickened slightly and the carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the garlic mixture, lemon juice, and cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.