Chicken Tajine With Preserved Lemon And Olives

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron thread
• 1/4 cup water (to soad saffron)
• 2 garlic cloves, halved
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1/2 red chile
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander (chopped with stems and leaves) or 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped with stems and leaves)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 bay leaves, torn in half
• 1 roasting chickens, cut into 8 pieces (size 10 or 12) or 8 chicken drumsticks or 8 chicken thighs (with bones)
• 1 tomato
• 1 onion
• 2 large potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 150 g green olives, pitted
• 1 bunch fresh coriander or 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1 preserved lemon, cut into 6 segments

Recipe

• 1 chermoula marinade: in a small bowl add saffron threads in water and allow to soak for a few minutes.
• 2 in a food processor add all the 'chermoula marinade' ingredients and combine until it forms a paste.
• 3 cover and allow 'chermoula marinade' to stand for 30 minutes before using. (chermoula marinade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to seven days).
• 4 wash and dry the chicken, then rub all over with half of the chermoula marinade and refrigerate overnight or for at least two hours.
• 5 after marinating, cut tomato and onion into thin wedges and combine a little more chermoula marinade. then spread the tomato and onion into the base of the tajine.
• 6 place the chicken pieces on top of tomato and onion mixture arranging them in the centre of the tajine.
• 7 coat potato wedges with the chermoula marinade and arrange the potatoes around chicken.
• 8 top the chicken with onion slices, then tomato slices and olives in between the potato wedges.
• 9 mix chopped coriander/cilantro with remaining chermoula marinade and water (you made add less water, it depends how much your tajine could hold). pour mixture on top of tomatoes and onions.
• 10 top with preserved lemon wedges then cover tajine with lid. cook on a very low gas heat for 45 minutes. do not stir or lift the lid during the cooking process.
• 11 serve with suggested couscous.