Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemon

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 2 pieces onions, sliced
• 2 pieces preserved lemons
• 150 g green olives
• 1 g saffron threads
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 4 pieces garlic cloves, crushed
• 30 g fresh coriander
• 30 g flat-leaf parsley
• 4 tbsp olive oil

Steps

1. 1
   Steep the saffron in 3 tbsp of warm water for 15 minutes.
2. 2
   Rub the chicken with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt and half the saffron water and marinate 2 hours.
3. 3
   Soften the onions in the olive oil in a tagine or heavy casserole for 15 minutes until sweet and collapsing.
4. 4
   Nestle the chicken in skin-side up and add just 200 ml of water — a tagine steams in its own juices and should never be swimming.
5. 5
   Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 1 hour, without stirring.
6. 6
   Rinse the preserved lemons, discard the pulp and slice the peel into strips. Add them with the olives for the last 20 minutes; earlier and the lemon turns bitter.
7. 7
   Uncover and reduce the sauce for 10 minutes if it is loose.
8. 8
   Scatter with chopped coriander and parsley and serve with bread or couscous.