Chicken with Carrots and Olives

foodandwine.com
serves 4
Middle Eastern cooks often stew chicken slowly in clay pots. Grace Parisi's intensely flavorful recipe here borrows ingredients common in Tunisian tagines (cumin, cinnamon, lemon, garlic and olives) for a fast, fragrant sauté.
Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lemon, seeded and very thinly sliced
3 large carrots, very thinly sliced, preferably on a mandoline
3 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch strips, or skinless, boneless breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Pinch of cinnamon
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3/4 cup mixed, herb-marinated pitted olives (3 ounces)
Chopped roasted almonds and couscous, for serving

Preparation

Step 1 In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet in a single layer. Cook over high heat, turning once, until browned but not cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving as much of the oil in the skillet as possible.
Step 2 Add the lemon slices to the skillet in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until the slices are browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the carrots and garlic and cook them over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the water and cook until the carrots are crisp-tender and the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute.
Step 3 Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and olives, season with salt and pepper and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the almonds. Serve with couscous.