Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Olives

From the friend who alerted us to the Chicken w/Clams recipe out of the New York Times, comes another chicken dish with a Moroccan twist. This recipe in it original form was first published in the New York Times 2/27/13, I have tweaked the original recipe to make it 'Bari-friendly' as the peeps say! (image to the right is of a tagine pot - it is conic in shape)

Ingredients


10 chicken thighs with bone and skin
Salt and black pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, the hotter the better
1 teaspoon ground cumin
18 pitted prunes
36 pitted picholine or other green olives
1 cup chicken stock
1 lemon, zest removed in thin strips
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1.Dry chicken and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, to very hot. Add chicken (in batches if necessary) skin side down, and sear until skin is golden brown. Remove chicken when browned (do not turn it) and set aside.
2.Discard all but a thin film of fat from the pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté on low until soft. Stir in paprika and cumin, cook about a minute and then add prunes, olives, and stock. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer contents of pan to a 12- to 14-inch tagine (clay pot), oven safe sauté pan (no rubber on the handle) or casserole. Place chicken on top, skin side up.
3.Cover and cook on medium-low heat about 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately or set aside to be reheated. To serve, scatter lemon zest and mint over the chicken, squeeze juice of the lemon on top and bring tagine to the table covered.

ENJOY!