Shared by Simone and Marc Azoulay and Marie Salomé Peyronnel
Shared by Simone and Marc Azoulay and Marie Salomé Peyronnel
Poulet aux Olives (Chicken with Olives)
Yield: 6-8 servingsTime: 45 minutes plus 40 minutes inactive
Poulet aux Olives (Chicken with Olives)
Yield: 6-8 servingsTime: 45 minutes plus 40 minutes inactiveFamily Journey
Casablanca, MoroccoParisRio de Janeiro
SydneyNew York City
At Simone Azoulay’s home in Paris, the Shabbat menu is always changing, but “Our tradition is to have one fish and one meat dish,” her son Marc explains. You can serve this chicken braised with olives, ginger, and saffron, after Marie’s poisson à la Marocaine, fish patties in a tomato sauce, or not, it’s wonderful either way.
Read more about their family’s Shabbat dinners in “Whether in Paris, New York, or Beyond, Marc Azoulay Always Makes Time for Shabbat Dinner” and try Simone’s recipes for meatballs with onions, a cooked Moroccan salad of tomatoes and peppers, and cumin-laced beets.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 pounds skin-on chicken thighs, dried with paper towels
- 2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 30 straws saffron, bloomed in 1 cup warm water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1½ inch knob of ginger, grated
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 cups whole black kalamata olives, rinsed
- ¾ water
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 3 to 5 minutes, then flip and sear the other side for about 3 minutes. Transfer the thighs to a large platter and set aside. Work in batches as needed.
Step 2
In the same pot you seared the chicken in, lower the heat to medium-low and add the onion. Mix with a rubber spatula, scraping up any chicken fat that has stuck to the bottom. Cover and allow to soften for 5-7 minutes.
Step 3
Uncover and add the salt, pepper, garlic, saffron water, lemon juice, ginger, cilantro, and olives. Mix to incorporate and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 4
Return the chicken thighs to the pot and add ¾a cups of water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through and tender, and the sauce has thickened, about 40 minutes. Chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
