The first time my husband and I did a huge batch of a stew with the intention of freezing it and then having it for cold winter nights, I complained endlessly. “This is SO much work.” (We were making a huge amount.) But a month or two later, my complaints changed to “Why didn’t we do this BEFORE? This is great!”
So do yourself a favour. Make a big batch of this—like double it—divide it into portions in freezer baggies and freeze them. Pull them out when you need a break from cooking. Defrost, heat and serve. You’ll be SO happy you did.
Chicken Legs with Preserved Lemons and Green Olives—aka Moroccan Chicken
From New Moroccan by Mourad Lahlou
Serves 6
- 6 chicken legs with thighs, trimmed of excess fat (We use just thighs so 12 thighs)
- Kosher salt
- 1-3 tablespoons duck or chicken fat (or olive oil)
- 5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- Preserved lemon rind using 2 lemons (see below for recipe)
- ½ cup pitted green olives, sliced into quarters
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1. Generously salt the chicken legs on all sides. Let sit at room temp for 1 hr.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the fat in a large frying pan (one that is ok for stove top and oven). Brown the chicken legs, 3-4 minutes each side until they are nicely browned. Remove them from the pan.
3. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the pan. If it looks burnt, discard it and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until they’re a rich golden brown.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Add the spices and a pinch of salt to the onions. Stir constantly for 1 ½ minutes to lightly toast the spices. Return the chicken legs to the pan, pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
6. Transfer to the oven and cook 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Remove chicken from pan.
7. Simmer the sauce for 3 minutes to reduce some. Add the lemons and olives. When they are hot, whisk in butter and herbs.
8. Serve over couscous, roasted potatoes or roasted spaghetti squash and spoon sauce over.
Quick Preserved Lemons
Makes about 1 cup.
1 ½ – 2 lemons
½ tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Dice whole lemons (peel, pith and pulp). Pick out seeds and discard. Place diced lemons with the juices in a bowl. Add kosher salt and sugar, tossing to combine. Transfer to a jar and let sit for at least 3 hours at room temp, shaking the jar a few times per hour to mix. Store any leftover in refrigerator.
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