Lemon, Artichoke, And Olive Chicken Stew With Gnocchi

Ingredients:

1 lemon thinly sliced

2 T olive oil – I use lemon infused evoo in this recipe

4 med sized chicken breasts or thighs with or without skin – I used 6 skinless boneless thighs

½ tsp of salt

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

A few saffron strands

¼ cup of white wine – use from the bottle you will be drinking from when devouring this stew.

¾ cup of Castelvetrano pitted olives – you can use any olive but this is my favorite

1 preserved lemon, diced

1 large can/jar of artichoke hearts (w/o marinade), quartered

1 T of fresh lemon juice

Chicken broth

Fresh made potato gnocchi

2 Ts fresh parsley, minced

Instructions:

Pat dry the chicken and salt and pepper both sides.

Heat a large saute pan w/a lid over med hi heat

Add thinly sliced lemon and cook until caramelized; about 3 mins. Remove and reserve.

Heat 1 T of olive oil over med-hi heat. When shimmering, add the chicken and brown on both sides.

When chicken releases easily from the pan, it’s ready to turn. When browned, removed to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining 1 T of olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and white pepper. Stir about 1 minute.

Add the saffron strands and wine. Add about 3/4 cup of chicken broth.

Stir, scraping up the brown bits on the pan.

Add the chicken back to the pan. If necessary, add enough broth to bring the level of liquid about ½ way up the chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Check the chicken for doneness.

While the chicken simmers, cook the potato gnocchi in salted water per instructions on packet.

Remove the lid, add the olives, artichoke hearts, preserved lemon and fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine, and heat through.

Add the cooked gnocchi to the chicken stew. If you want to thicken the broth, add a bit of starchy water from the gnocchi. I have never used more than ½ ladle.

Ladle into a flat-bottomed bowl (easier to cut the chicken), garnish with caramelized lemon and fresh parsley.

Pour a glass of that left over white wine and enjoy!