The Frugal Kitchen - Moroccan Chicken

At least once a week I try to expand my horizons and cook an ethnic dish.  You can't really understand a country until you understand it's food.  Last week I made a trip back to my youth by making a Moroccan chicken dish.  I lived in Morocco for a year when I was very young and I don't remember much about it, except the stories my mom told about when we were there.

INGREDIENTS

2 lemons, one cut into 8 wedges and one squeezed to produce 2 Tbsp. juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. cumin, ground
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1 tsp. dried ground ginger or 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 cups chicken stock
chicken thighs and legs, enough to feed your family, skinless
1/2 cup green olives, pitted
salt and pepper to taste


INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook until lightly browned; add garlic and spices.  Stir quickly, then add stock.  When it begins to boil add lightly salted and peppered chicken to skillet.  Add lemon wedges, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turn the chicken once or twice during cooking time.

Add olives and lemon juice, then cook uncovered on high heat until sauce thickens (you may need to add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. cold water).  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.  Serve over rice or starch of your choice.

This dish can be cooked in the crockpot after browning the onions.  It is an easy, flavorful dish.  I think of it as Moroccan comfort food.

God bless,
Pam