Chicken tagine with oranges and olives

Name: Chicken tagine with oranges and olives
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs; 2 tsp cumin; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, sliced; 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 bay leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; preserved orange peel, about 1/2 preserved orange, sliced; 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup green olives, pitted and sliced; 5 medium oranges, divided; 1/2 cup kosher salt

Prep Time15 min
Total Time30 min
Makes4 Servings

By Chatelaine

Chicken tajine with oranges and olives.
Photo, Angus Fergusson.

Ingredients

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
preserved orange peel, about 1/2 preserved orange, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup green olives, pitted and sliced

FOR PRESERVED ORANGES:

5 medium oranges, divided
1/2 cup kosher salt

Instructions

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Sprinkle chicken thighs with cumin. Add oil to pan, then chicken. Cook until dark golden, about 3 min per side. Remove to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, preserved peel and broth. When mixture starts to boil, return chicken and any juices to pan along with olives. Simmer, covered, turning chicken halfway through, until flavours develop, about 15 min. Remove and discard cinnamon stick and bay leaves before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 215, Protein 23g, Carbohydrates 6g, Fat 11g, Fibre 2g, Sodium 976mg.

Wine Pairings

Viognier has the oomph to stand up to richly flavoured main courses. Its hint of sweetness amps up the intensity of Chicken Tajine with Oranges & Olives or of Lemony Spaghetti with Shrimp & Basil. A break-the-bank French viognier from Condrieu is a worthy splurge for any white-wine lover, but British Columbia, Australia and South America offer affordable options. Anakena Single Vineyard Viognier, Chile, $16.

To Make Preserved Oranges:

Scrub oranges under running water with a stiff vegetable brush to remove any waxy coating. Trim off and discard stem ends. Quarter oranges lengthwise.

Coat wedges with salt, then pack into a 1-L jar with a lid. Press oranges very firmly into the jar to get the juices flowing. Add remaining salt and the fresh-squeezed juice from 1 orange to cover. Cover jar with a piece of plastic wrap and secure lid. Refrigerate.

Turn and gently shake jar once a day. After 1 week, oranges will be soft and ready to use. They'll continue to develop flavour. Keep refrigerated up to 6 months.

To use, remove and discard pith and pulp using a small sharp knife. Rinse peel well to remove excess salt. Slice or dice peel. Oranges become saltier the longer they sit. Adjust the amount of peel used in recipes below accordingly.

makes 1L

FILED UNDER:

Dinner fall recipes stovetop world cuisine

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