Preserved lemons are the trick to most North African recipes. I make my own (it takes 3 weeks until they are ready! Patience is a virtue…), but if you don’t want to wait you can easily buy them at Trader Joe’s. For those who want to venture into the fun, here is how you can make your own preserved lemons.
Cook 2 tsps of cumin seeds in a large skillet over medium heat for ˜2 minutes (until they become nice and fragrant). Place cumin seeds in a spice grinder, and process until finely ground.
Combine cumin, salt (very little, since the preserved lemons are somewhat salty) and pepper (as desired), and 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves into a large ziplock bag. Seal and combine until the chicken breasts are evenly covered. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hr.
Remove chicken from bag and brown both sides in a pan, with a drizzle of olive oil.
Reduce heat to medium. Add 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock to pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup rinsed, chopped preserved lemons and 8 chopped kalamata olives. Simmer until chicken is done.
Serve with white quinoa, and sprinkle chopped cilantro.
WhenRoxyCooks 