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A serving of chicken and preserved lemon salad on a blue plate.
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4.67 / 3 votes

Chicken and Preserved Lemon Salad

This is perfect for a summer supper with a cold glass of vino and if the weather’s lousy, it will bring a little of that hazy heat from the dusty hills of Morocco to brighten up your home.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Moroccan
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 601

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

For the salad

  • 1 cup uncooked couscous
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoon lemon juice, from 2 to 3 lemons, plus more to taste
  • 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and very thinly sliced, feathery fronds chopped and reserved for garnish, if desired
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • One (14-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 store bought or homemade preserved lemon, pith discarded and zest finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
  • Small handful finely chopped mint, or less to taste
  • Generous handful finely chopped cilantro or parsley, or less to taste, plus a small handful whole leaves for garnish, if desired
US - Metric

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

  • Using the flat side of a large knife or a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic into a paste with a pinch of salt. In a large bowl, combine the garlic paste, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, oil, and lemon juice and mix well. Add the chicken thighs and rub the spice paste all over, completely coating them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Make the salad

  • Preheat the broiler on high. Arrange the marinated chicken thighs on a foil-lined broiler pan.
  • While the broiler preheats, bring a small pan of water to a boil. Dump the couscous in a large bowl and add enough boiling water to cover it by about 1/4 inch (6 mm). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
  • In another small bowl, toss the red onion with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a small pinch of salt. Let sit for a few minutes to mellow the sharpness of the raw onion. Then add the fennel and 1/2 tablespoon oil and toss.
  • Gently fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the onion and fennel mixture, chickpeas, preserved lemon, olives, chopped mint, chopped cilantro or parsley, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss well. Taste, adding more lemon juice or salt, if desired.
  • Broil the chicken thighs until cooked through and golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes per side. When cool enough to handle, slice the chicken thighs into thin strips. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
  • To serve, if desired, turn the salad onto a large platter. Arrange the chicken on top and spoon over any juices from the broiler pan. Garnish with whole cilantro or parsley leaves and fennel fronds, if using. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 601kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 559mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g