Moroccan Olives Recipes

MOROCCAN OLIVE TAPENADE - BLACK OR GREEN OLIVE TAPENADE

Steps:

• Rinse the olives and remove the pits. Combine the olives with the capers.
• Chop the olives and capers as finely as you can by hand, or place them in a food processor and pulse several times until the mixture is almost a paste. If using a processor, be careful not to overdo the blending as you want the tapenade to retain some texture.
• Mix the chopped olives with the remaining ingredients by hand, or in the food processor (again by pulsing several times, just until combined).
• Taste, then add and adjust harissa, garlic, and lemon juice as desired.
• For a thinner tapenade, increase the amount of olive oil, stirring in an additional teaspoon or two at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency. Store the tapenade in a covered glass jar in the fridge.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH GREEN OLIVES AND LEMON

Steps:

• Cut 1 lemon into 8 wedges. Squeeze enough juice from second lemon to measure 2 tablespoons; set wedges and juice aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add next 5 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Add lemon wedges. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Add olives and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to skillet. Increase heat to high; boil uncovered to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.

INSTANT POT MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH LEMON, OLIVES & POTATOES

Steps:

• Prepare all ingredients first. Cut the chicken thighs in halves and trim off any excess fat. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
• Turn the Instant Pot and press the Sauté function key. Once the inside of the pot gets hot, add the olive oil, onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times until lightly browned.
• Add garlic and spices and stir through to release the aromas. Add the orange juice and chicken stock and stir through, scraping off the bottom. Now, add the chicken pieces, olives, apricots and carrots and stir in the spiced broth.
• Insert lemon slices around the chicken and add the potato wedges on the top. Sprinkle them with a little extra salt.
• Pop the lid on top, lock and make sure the top valve is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual/Pressure Cook and set to 10 minutes at HIGH pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes or so to come to pressure. Once the timer is done, allow 15 minutes for natural pressure release and then use the quick release method (point the top valve to Venting) to let off the remaining pressure.
• Open the lid. Remove the potatoes and lemon slices to a plate. Transfer everything but the sauce to an oven-proof casserole dish or frying pan. Place the potatoes and lemon wedges on top. Add heaped tablespoon of flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water to the sauce and stir through, to thicken. Pour over the chicken and potatoes and pop the pan under broil/grill for 5-7 minutes to brown slightly. This step is optional as the tagline will be ready to be served right away. I like to finish the whole thing with some toasted almonds and fresh parsley.
• Serve with couscous, rice or cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version.

MOROCCAN OLIVES

Steps:

• In 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil 1 minute. Add fennel seed, coriander seed, cumin seed, pepper flakes and garlic; cook and stir over medium heat 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from heat. Add olives and orange peel; stir until olives are coated.
• Divide mixture between 2 small jars or containers with tightfitting lids. Pour 3/4 cup oil over mixture in jars. Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Serve at room temperature. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

MOROCCAN TAGINE WITH OLIVES AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir chicken, onion, and garlic in hot oil until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes.
• Stir garbanzo beans, diced tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, artichoke hearts, carrot, olives, sugar, lemon juice, salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper into the chicken mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

MARINATED MOROCCAN OLIVES

Steps:

• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine olive oil, pepper flakes, garlic, coriander and cumin. Squeeze the lemon juice and add the lemon wedges, the olives, and mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight. Leave out at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

MOROCCAN OLIVES WITH HARISSA RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak the olives in a bowl of water for a few hours or overnight; drain. (Or, if the olives are hard, soften them by soaking in boiling water for 15 minutes.) For better infusion of the marinade, make one or two small incisions in each olive (or gently crush them to crack the flesh of the olive).
• While the olives are soaking, make the harissa if it's not already prepared: Remove the seeds from the chile peppers then soak in hot water for a half hour or until tender enough to mash. Drain. Lightly toast the seeds in a skillet (just until fragrant) and grind them with a mortar and pestle. Add the softened chile peppers, garlic, salt, lemon juice and olive oil to the mortar and grind to a paste. Thin as desired with additional lemon juice and olive oil. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until needed.
• Seed the preserved lemon and cut it into thin strips.
• Combine the preserved lemon with the drained olives, parsley. lemon juice and as much harissa as desired.
• If you like, a little additional olive oil or garlic can be mixed in to the olives.
• Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours (overnight is best) before serving. The olives will keep in the fridge for several weeks. Leftover harissa may be stored in the fridge as well for use as a condiment with other foods.

STOVETOP MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Ahead of time if possible, combine the chicken with the onion, garlic, herbs, and spices, including half of the saffron. (Reserve the rest of the saffron for adding to the sauce at a later time.) If time allows, cover and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
• When ready to cook, transfer the chicken and onions (scrape every last bit out of your bowl) to a heavy-bottomed pot, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Cover and cook the chicken over medium or medium-low heat, gently stirring and turning the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken is tender enough to pinch off the bones. (This will take approximately one hour, but longer if using a free range chicken). Keep the heat adjusted so that the chicken doesn't scorch, and only add a little water if you feel you must. Typically the chicken will braise in its own juices.
• When the chicken is cooked, carefully transfer it to a plate and cover.
• Continue cooking the onion mixture and sauce over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquids evaporate and the onions can be mashed into a blended mass which separates from the oils. If your onions do not appear to be melding, you can give a few pulses with an immersion blender, but do not overprocess.
• Add the preserved lemon, olives, the rest of the saffron, and a few tablespoons of water, and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot to heat through, or place under the broiler to brown the skin.
• Place the chicken on a serving platter, pour the onion sauce over the top and sides, and garnish the top of the chicken with the quartered lemon and some olives.
• For casual meals, consider garnishing the chicken with a handful or two of french fries (patate frite), which may also be offered as a traditional side.
• Moroccan tradition is to eat by hand, using crusty Moroccan bread for soaking up the sauce.