Serves 4-6
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, halved through the root and thinly sliced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 lbs Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs (skin-on pieces, on the bone)
- 1 preserved lemon, rinsed, pith-removed, peel thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro for sprinkling
Saute the vegetables and aromatics
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
Cook the chicken
Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken pieces with pepper, then add to the pot along with the preserved lemon. (It’s okay if not all the chicken pieces are fully submerged in the broth.) Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and almost falling off the bone, 50-60 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the chicken to a platter.
(Alternately, you could do this step in an Instant Pot for about 20 minutes).
To finish
Add the olives and lemon juice to the pot. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot.
