Chicken with olives is often a simple midweek dish, made with tomato paste and the most basic pitted olives, but this version, while still simple to make, is a delicious step up. In place of tomatoes, citrus provides the brightness fresh and preserved lemons, dried limes, and orange juice. Just mix everything together and put it in the oven, and about an hour later, you have a fragrant, tangy chicken dish that is beautiful as part of the couscous table. If you don’t have preserved lemons or dried Persian limes, skip either one or both. The fresh lemons and olives add plenty of flavor.

Recipe information

• Yield Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 chicken legs or 8 thighs or 8 large drumsticks

½ cup pitted olives (cracked green, Moroccan oil-cured, Manzanilla, or Kalamata olives)

1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced

4 wedges preserved lemon, store-bought or homemade, pulp and seeds scraped out

2 dried Persian limes, cracked

1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1½ tsp. honey

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus a handful of whole leaves for serving (optional)

2 large garlic cloves, smashed

½ tsp. ground turmeric

1½ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sweet paprika

Pinch of chile flakes

1 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

1 cup fresh orange juice

Cooked couscous, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 2

Put the chicken, olives, onion, preserved lemon, dried limes, lemon slices, oil, honey, salt, cilantro, garlic, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and chile flakes in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix everything thoroughly, making sure the chicken pieces are well coated with the spices and herbs.

Step 3

Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side down in a deep baking dish in a single snug layer. Arrange the rest of the mixture over the chicken. Whisk the stock with the orange juice in a measuring cup and pour over the chicken.

Step 4

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and, using tongs or a couple of spoons, turn the chicken pieces skin-side up. Bake, uncovered, for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is nicely browned and crackly. To check for doneness, make a small incision in the thickest part of a chicken thigh and make sure the juices run clear. If they are still pink, baste the skin with the pan juices to prevent the chicken from drying out and roast for another few minutes.

Step 5

Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves (if using) and serve over couscous.