Back in the early 1970s, my parents were living in Morocco where my mom, a curious and talented cook, discovered North African cuisine. She especially liked the region’s legendary tagines, made of meat or poultry that’s been braised with fruits and/or vegetables in a traditional conic-shaped claypot. Her favorite one had chicken, green olives and lemon. But being married to an Iranian man who preferred saucier stews to spoon over his basmati rice, she created a hybrid version, which went on to become a family favorite. Over the years, she has tried to give it more of a Morrocan spin by serving it with couscous, but nostalgia gets the better of me because I still like it best with fluffy Basmati rice.

To this day, mom cooks up a big pot of her “poulet aux olives” every time we go back home. Everyone loves it and almost always has seconds …. and thirds. It’s fairly light, pretty healthy and very simple to make (which – I am now thinking – is why she maybe made it so often). Perfect for a weekday dinner but also elegant enough for a fancier affair.

Ingredients

• 500g chicken thighs, boneless, skin removed (chicken breasts also work)
• 2 tbsp corn flour (regular flour also works)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped coarsely into cubes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups of chicken stock
• 2/3 cup green olives (you can totally take the manzanilla-stuffed ones you find in jars)
• 1 preserved lemon (use an organic fresh one if you don’t have preserved)
• 1 tsp dry mint (do not use fresh mint – you can substitute with 2 tsps dried Herbes de Provence and it will be delicious)
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

• Cut the chicken thighs in two or three pieces. Place them on a large plate and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, some pepper and the flour
• In a large pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until translucent on medium heat, around 2 minutes
• Add the chicken to the pan and toss until it is golden on all sides, this should take 2 or 3 minutes
• Throw in the tomato paste and with a wooden spoon, toss the chicken around until it is well coated with the tomato paste
• If you are using fresh lemon, cut it in 2, semi-squeeze the juice out onto the chicken and throw the lemon halves in the pot as well. Then immediately add the stock and let the whole thing summer on low/medium heat until chicken is cooked through and roughly half the liquid is evaporated – about 15 – 20 minutes
• If you are using preserved lemon, just add the stock and let simmer for 15 minutes as described above. While the stew is simmering, dice the preserved lemon skin/rind and add it into the chicken stew with the olives. Let simmer for another 5 minutes
• Adjust salt and pepper seasonining and decorate with thec minced parsley
• Serve with steamed white rice, couscous or your favorite grain