Chicken and Orange Tagine with Green Olives and Black Quinoa
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) cut up into 8 to 10 pieces
- 1/4 cup flour
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 medium onions, thinly sliced into half moons
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Peel of 4 oranges, pith removed and thinly sliced
- Juice of 2 oranges
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and thinly sliced
- 2 cups black quinoa
- fresh cilantro, for serving
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place flour in a shallow dish and season with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium low flame. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, shake off excess and place, skin side down in hot oil. Do not over crowd pan - work in batches if necessary. Sear chicken until golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes per side. Chicken is probably perfectly brown when it easily releases from pan. Remove chicken from dutch oven and set aside on a clean plate or baking sheet. If working in batches, carry on with the remaining chicken. When all chicken is brown, deglaze dutch-oven with wine - scraping up any cooked on bits which may be stuck to pan. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another few minutes. Return chicken to pan. Add orange peel and season with another good big pinch salt and pepper. Add 2 cups cold water (liquid should be about level with chicken so adjust amount accordingly). Add orange juice and bay leaves. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat, set cover just ajar and simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender - about 40 minutes. Stir in olives about 30 minutes into cooking.
Meanwhile, prepare quinoa according to package instructions. Discard bay leaves and serve chicken with sauce and juices over quinoa. Add a sprig of cilantro if desired.