Well-Being: Braised Chicken with Olives, Capers, Almonds + Prunes

I cook chicken now.

I don’t know if it’s that I was a vegetarian for 12 years (the years I learned to cook no less) or if it’s just not a skill I’ve been able to pick up, but up until this recipe I really didn’t know how to cook chicken very well. Like I tried. Many times. But it would always come out tough or dry. I had one go-to chicken recipe over the years, but it has a 2-hour cook time and it’s more of a basic recipe for meal prep so the chicken can be later used in salads and bowls. Anyways needless to say, I’m excited I have this new recipe under my belt, and also that the method for braising the chicken could work with other ingredients should I choose to adapt it in the future.

This recipe features some of my favorite flavors all wrapped into a one-pot dinner. Capers and olives and lemons, oh my! When I traveled to Morocco in 2018, one of the things I remember loving was that they incorporate fruit into their meat dishes. Dates, apples, prunes, apricots, cherries. It wasn’t something I thought I would love, but the combination of something sweet with the richness of stewed meat is such a satisfying surprise. I used prunes in this recipe (try to find the juiciest, water-infused ones possible!), but I’m sure figs or apples would be delicious as well. Also feel free to use whatever combination of olives you love most!