MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND OLIVES - STOVE TOP METHOD

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND OLIVES - STOVE TOP METHOD image

Categories Chicken

Number Of Ingredients 15

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1 whole chicken, skin removed, cut into pieces
1/3 cup vegetable oil (or a mix of vegetable oil and olive oil)
2 very large white or yellow onions (1 lb or ½ kg), sliced as thinly as possible
4 potatoes (more or less)
one small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
one small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric (or 1/4 teaspoon Moroccan yellow colorant)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled (divided - optional)
1 teaspoon smen (Moroccan preserved butter - optional)
1 handful green or red olives, or mixed
1 preserved lemon, quartered and seeds removed

Steps:

Cook the Chicken Mix everything except half of the saffron, olives, and lemon in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Cover the pot, and cook the chicken over medium heat, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and almost ready to fall off the bones (approximately one hour, but longer if using a free range chicken). Keep the heat adjusted so that the chicken doesn't scorch, and try not to add water as you cook; the chicken will braise in its own juices. Add the preserved lemon, olives, the rest of the saffron, and a few tablespoons of water, and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes. Salt to taste