Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives

Oh my gosh, was this one fabulous dinner. The lemon & olives brought this tang to the dish that mixed so well with the spices & really gave it a punch that pushed it over the edge to fantastic. And the smell, to die for!

To make it even better it comes together in a snap! Pretty much one hour from start to finish. It's the type of dish that would work perfectly if you were having guests over for dinner after work. Not much fuss but definitely impressive.

Moroccan Chicken with Lemon & Olives
(adapted from Bon Appetite May '09 for number of servings)

1 lemon
1/2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, cut in half & then sliced thin
salt & pepper
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 T paprika
1 t cumin
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1 c chicken broth
4 chicken thighs, on the bone with skin removed
10 green olives (we couldn't find any that were pitted without a filling so we bought some stuffed with almonds & actually liked that addition)

Slice the lemon in half. Cut one half into 4 wedges. Squeeze the juice from the other half. Set juice & wedges aside.

In a skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions & season with salt & pepper. Sauté until golden brown. Stir in the garlic paprika, cumin, cinnamon & ginger & cook while stirring for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth & bring to a boil. Add the chicken thighs & lemon wedges. Cover & reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 30 minutes, turning the chicken from time to time.

Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the lemon juice & olives to the skillet. Turn the heat to high & let boil for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Serve the sauce over the chicken. We served the chicken & sauce over basmati rice.

Serves 2