Chicken With Preserved Lemons and Olives

Ingredients

• 3 1/2-4 lbs chicken
• 3 tablespoons peanuts or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, grated or very finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron thread or powdered saffron
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 preserved lemons, peel of, rinsed and cut in quarters
• 12 green olives or pale-brown olives, soaked in 2 changes of water for 1/2 hour

Directions

1. 1

   Put the whole chicken in a saucepan with all ingredients except preserved lemons and olives.

2. 2

   Half-cover with water and simmer, covered, turning the chicken over a few times, and adding water if necessary, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is so tender that the flesh pulls off the bone and the liquid is reduced to a thick sauce.

3. 3

   Throw the lemon peel and drained rinsed olives into the sauce for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

4. 4

   Some like to add the peel at the very end; some like to chop part of it up to flavor the sauce.

5. 5

   Cut the chicken into serving pieces and serve hot, with the sauce poured over.