Braised Maryland Chicken and Olives

 

                                             Braised Maryland Chicken and Olives

 

 

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons canola oil
  
• 2 ¹/₂ pounds chicken legs and thighs
  
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or more to taste
  
• 1 pinch Black pepper, or more to taste
  
• 1 ¹/₂ cups small diced onion
  
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  
• 1 ¹/₂ teaspoons paprika
  
• ¹/₂ teaspoon turmeric
  
• ¹/₂ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 2 cups chicken stock, more as needed
  
• ¹/₄ teaspoon saffron
  
• ¹/₂ cup green olives, rinsed
  
• 2 preserved lemons, pulp removed; rind cut into strips
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

 

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet or over medium high heat. Dry the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the skillet in batches and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until slightly softened. Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper and stir together. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the spice mixture. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet so that 2/3 of the chicken is submerged. Add the saffron and stir to combine. Bring liquid to a simmer, cover the skillet and simmer on medium low heat 20-25 minutes. Add the olives and preserved lemons. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and turn the heat to high. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until sauce reduces slightly. Stir in the cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Serve chicken on a bed of couscous. Spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with cilantro.

Maryland Oven-Fried Chicken

 

                                                   Maryland Oven-Fried Chicken

 

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sea salt (divided, plus more for serving)
  
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• ¹/₂ cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (plus more for serving)

 

Directions

1. In the morning, combine 2 tablespoons salt and about a cup of warm water in a large bowl or container. Stir to dissolve the salt. Trim the chicken of excess skin and fat. Add the chicken to the bowl. Cover with very cold water and add a tray of ice cubes. Swish around with your hand to disperse them. Chill in the refrigerator until dinner time.
2. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove the chicken from the fridge and pat dry completely with paper towels. Put the butter in a roasting pan large enough to fit the chicken in one layer (But remember, Judy says, "You don't want to crowd it or then it'll stew, like mushrooms"). Place the pan in the oven. In a 1-gallon freezer bag, pour in the flour, remaining 1 tablespoon salt and the pepper. Give it a good shake. Add the chicken pieces two at a time and shake them until thoroughly coated. As you lift them out of the bag, shake them off vigorously. This is vital. You do not want a gummy coating. Line them up on a plate, and repeat with the rest.
3. Lay the chicken pieces in the roasting pan, skin side down, and oven-fry until a chestnut brown and crisp on the bottom, about 40 minutes (sometimes it takes as long as an hour). Don’t flip them until this happens. Use a thin spatula to scrape them up off the pan and turn them; cook the other side until the bottom is browned, which will take less time, around 20 minutes. Remove the pieces from the oven as they finish cooking, and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Just before serving, grind fresh pepper over top and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.