Chicken in Preserved Lemon Sauce

Simple and quick dish, with rich and full flavor

Equipment

Soup & Stew Donabe, "Miso-shiru Nabe" (large)

Servings

2 - 3 hearty servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 g) boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into large bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon shio-koji (can be substituted with 1 teaspoon salt)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium-small onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 clove garlic, thinly-sliced
• 2 tablespoons sake or white wine
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) crushed tomato (or tomato sauce)
• 2 pieces preserved lemon, minced plus 1 teaspoon of its syrup (*each piece is equivalent to 1/8 of medium-size lemon)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 4 oz (120 g) green beans, cut in half
• salt and pepper

Procedure

1. In a Ziploc bag, combine the chicken and shio-koji and mix well by hand. Tightly close (with the air out) and let the chicken marinade in refrigerator for at least a few hours to overnight.
2. In Miso-shiru Nabe, sauté the onion and fennel seeds in 1 tablespoon olive oil over moderate heat until the onion is very soft (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté until aromatic.
3. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the sake and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the crushed tomato, preserved lemon and syrup, bay leaf, and oregano. Cover. As soon as it starts boiling, turn down the heat to simmer.
4. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, pan-fry the chicken in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned outside but not fully cooked to inside. Transfer the chicken (but leave the oil in a pan) to Miso-shiru Nabe and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Wipe the sauté pan after chicken was transferred. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the green beans over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Transfer the green beans to Miso-shiru Nabe (but leave the oil in a pan). Continue to simmer for additional 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of pepper and adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Turn off the heat and let it rest (with lid on) for 10 minutes. Serve into individual bowls at the table.