Shared by Julia Mande
Shared by Julia Mande
Moroccan Lemon and Olive Chicken
Yield: 6 servingsTime: 2 hours and 25 minutes
Moroccan Lemon and Olive Chicken
Yield: 6 servingsTime: 2 hours and 25 minutesFamily Journey
Casablanca, MoroccoQueens, NYHarare, Zimbabwe
Hastings-on-Hudson, NYBrooklyn, NY
This lemon chicken with olives is the dish that anchors Shabbats in Julia Mande’s memory — it’s her mother Lydia Hassiba’s signature, adapted from a version Julia’s grandmother made in Casablanca. It's tangy, fragrant, and always served family-style, usually alongside couscous and fennel salad.
After Julia’s father died in 2021, she encouraged her mother to find her joy in cooking again. Always connected to her local community, Lydia found a store in her now-hometown of Hastings-on-Hudson that had a small kitchen in the back and offered to teach a cooking class. This was among the recipes she shared with her students. It’s also the recipe Julia brings to an annual gathering with friends. “We each present the dish that’s meaningful to us. I bring my own version of lemon olive chicken,” she shares.
Cooking notes: This recipe calls for preserved lemons — whole lemons cured in salt and their own juices until soft and intensely fragrant. Look for them in your grocery store’s international section or at Middle Eastern or South Asian grocery stores.
Read more about Julia’s family in “Inheriting Generations of Moroccan Culinary Wisdom” and try her recipes for cured black olives with orange and herbs and shaved fennel and orange salad.
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1½ teaspoons turmeric powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 preserved lemons
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1 fresh lemon, cut into round slices for garnish
Preparation
Step 1
Grind the saffron threads into a powder using a mortar and pestle, or crush them between your fingers into a bowl. Add the cumin, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne, and mix well.
Step 2
Season the chicken pieces with kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the chicken.
Step 3
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 4
Nestle the chicken pieces into the pot in a single layer. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 1 hour.
Step 5
Meanwhile, remove the pulp from the preserved lemons and discard. Thinly slice the peels.
Step 6
After 1 hour, add the lemon peel, cilantro, and parsley to the pot. Stir gently to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for another 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more stock if needed to keep the chicken mostly submerged.
Step 7
Once the chicken is tender and cooked through, carefully transfer it to a serving dish, leaving the sauce in the pot.
Step 8
Add the olives to the pot and simmer the sauce over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until slightly reduced. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
Step 9
Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh lemon slices and a few sprigs of cilantro and parsley.
Step 10
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
