Braised Chicken with Artichokes and Olives

Well, tonight’s recipe was born out of a last minute scramble. I was hungry, cold, and wanted something wintery. I also did not want to go out grocery shopping.

So, after combining 3 recipes I made in the past and experimenting with Artichoke, here it is…

 

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 11/2 pounds)
• Salt to taste (many of the ingredients are salty to begin with, so taste before you add more salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I like lots of garlic, so I went with 6 cloves)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Generous pinch or two of red pepper flakes
• 1 cinnamon stick, or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (a zest of 1 lemon is enough if you are using jarred artichoke)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon is enough if you are using jarred artichoke)
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and mixed with a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt
• 1 jar of artichoke hearts (rinsed)
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives (I used manzanilla)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Pat the chicken dry and season salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, working in batches if necessary, and cook until well browned on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Decrease the heat to medium. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft and slightly golden, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Pour in 1/4 cup of the broth to deglaze the skillet (yes, I actually said deglaze J ), stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the pot. Stir in a pinch of salt and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
6. Stir in the remaining 1 3/4 cups of broth, the lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add the chicken, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and olives and stir gently to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes.
8. Taste; you may want to add another squeeze of lemon juice or pinch of salt. Garnish with the cilantro.
9. Serve with Rice, couscous, or any grains (I served it with Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend).