ALGERIA: Chicken and Olive Stew (Tajine Zitoune)

This one-pot wonder hits all the notes without a heavy lift. It's warm yet bright, exotic yet familiar, homey yet elevated. When served over rice or couscous (or fonio!) it is a balanced dish — one I can see it being the center of a dinner party as easily as a weeknight throw-together.

ALGERIA: Chicken and Olive Stew (Tajine Zitoune)

1½ cups drained pitted green olives

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 pieces bone-in, skin on chicken drumsticks and/or thighs or 4 full legs

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium, yellow onion

4 medium carrots

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 lemon, juiced

¼ cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place drained olives in medium bowl and cover with warm water to soak.

2. In a Dutch oven or large, heavy bottomed pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

3. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and sear 3-4 minutes on a side, until golden. Remove to a plate and set aside.

4. Chop the onion and add to the pot. Peel the carrot and cut into rounds, adding to the onions. Cook 5-7 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and the onions turn translucent. Mince the garlic and add to the pan. Sauté an additional 30 seconds. Add in the turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and curry. Cook one additional minute, stirring often, to toast the spice.

5. Add two cups of water to the pot, along with the black pepper and bay leaves. Mix thoroughly. Add in the par-cooked chicken. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Drain the water from the olives, and add the olives into the pot. Simmer, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes.

7. Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the stew to thicken the sauce. Stir and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

8. Squeeze the lemon into the pot and garnish with the chopped parsley. Taste for seasoning. Serve over rice. couscous, or fonio.

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FUN FACTS:

• The Algerian national anthem is a war song against the French.

• Iced coffee was invented in Algeria around the year 1840.

• Stone Age Animal Cemetery in Algeria is a cemetery for large animals that was believed to have been buried during the Stone Age. It includes remains of elephants and giraffes, indicating that the area was once lush with water and vegetation.