ON THE ROAD TO
MOROCCO –
Moroccan Chicken That Is
My love affair w/ chicken continued the other night when Richard made chicken, Moroccan style.
Sadly, we didn’t eat this divine dish at Rick’s Place in Casablanca… but, sitting outside by our pool on a warm summer’s eve, we clicked our glasses and toasted “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
MOROCCAN CHICKEN
With Preserved Lemons
And Green Olives
(from Ruth Reichl’s “The Gourmet Cookbook”)
Ingredients:
4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 lbs), rinsed & patted dry
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced ¼ inch thick
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
½ teaspoon turmeric
8 pieces Moroccan-style preserved lemon
½ cup chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium broth
¼ cup dry white wine
16 green olives, pitted and halved
Garnish: 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Season chicken w/ salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. Brown chicken, turning over once, about 6 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm, covered.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, reduce heat to moderate, and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 8-10 minutes. Add turmeric and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, scrape pulp from preserved lemon (reserve for another use, if desired). Cut rind into thin strips.
Add preserved lemon rind to onions, along w/ stock, wine, and olives. Return chicken, with any juices accumulated on plate, to skillet. Simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.
Serve sprinkled w/ cilantro.
Serves 4
MOROCCAN-STYLE
Preserved Lemons
(from Ruth Reichl’s “The Gourmet Cookbook”)
Ingredients:
2-1/2 – 3 lbs lemons (10-12) – Meyer lemons if you have them
2/3 cup kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
Special Equipment: a 6-cup jar w/ a tight-fitting lid
Directions:
Blanch 6 lemons in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. When cool enough to handle, cut each lemon into 8 wedges and discard seeds. Toss w/ kosher salt in a bowl, then pack, along w/ salt, into jar.
Squeeze enough juice from remaining lemons to measure 1 cup. Add enough juice to jar to cover lemons and screw on lid tightly. Let lemons stand at room temperature, shaking gently once a day, for 5 days.
Add oil to lemons and refrigerate.
Cookbook’s note: Preserved lemons keep, refrigerated, for up to one year.
Or, if you’re lucky, you’ll have Kyle as a friend who’ll give you a jar of preserved lemons she made.
