Tajine Zetoun (Algerian Chicken and Olive Stew)

Despite the name, Algerian tajine is not a slow-cooked clay-pot dish — it is a saucy stew cooked in a wide pot and ladled over bread or rice. Tajine zetoun, with green olives, is a dinner-party classic that every Algerian cook has in her repertoire, pairing the mellow fruitiness of olives with whatever the butcher had that day. Zetoun simply means olives, and they are the heart of the dish.

Briny olives against a silky golden sauce

The chicken turns meltingly tender, the olives mellow as they simmer, and the sauce is glossy, garlicky, and brightened with a squeeze of lemon at the end. Mushrooms add an earthy note that plays beautifully against the brine, and a handful of parsley keeps everything fresh. Serve it with crusty bread to mop up every last drop, or spoon it over rice for a more filling meal. The sauce begs to be finished from the plate, and nobody leaves any behind.

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