- 1/4 cup salt for brining (optional)
- 1/2 cup sugar for brining (optional)
- 8 chicken thighs, skin removed and discarded
- 2 onions, halved and sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon sweet Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 11 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) pitted green olives in brine, like Goya’s, drained
- Juice of one lemon
- To brine the chicken (optional), combine the salt, sugar, and 1 cup hot water in a large bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add 3 cups cold water and the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain, rinse, and drain again.
- Arrange the onions in a large casserole and top with the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with the ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, garlic, and cilantro. Pour the chicken broth over all. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, turning once.
- Meanwhile, combine the olives with several cups of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain well and set aside.
- Add the olives and lemon juice to the chicken and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. If desired, simmer longer to reduce and thicken the sauce. Serve.
- Serves 4
- Hesser says: Go ahead, brine the chicken. It’s easy and worth it–brining lightly cures the meat and helps keep it moist. We agree, though I don’t promise we always do it.
- We find canned green olives at Kroger, but any olive bar would do, and we’ve made it with stuffed olives, unstuffed.
- We usually serve over rice, but good bread to sop up the amazing juices would be good, too.
The Essential New York Times Cookbook, page 482.
(4.00 out of 5)