CHICKEN WITH OLIVES AND PRESERVED LEMON
Serves 6 Prep time: 40 min Cook time: 90 min
INGREDIENTS
6 baby chicken For the Chermoula sauce 6 cloves of garlic, grated 1 tbsp harissa paste 1 preserved lemon cut into small pieces 1 lemon juice 3 tsp ground ginger 3 tsp turmeric 1 tbsp ghee Salt to taste Handful of parsley Fresh coriander, inely chopped 8-10 threads saffron 2 lemons 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil For the Deghmira sauce 250g chicken liver 3 tbsp white vinegar 1 bay leaf 3 tbsp chermoula sauce 1kg onion, inely chopped 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp vegetable oil 100g red or green pitted olives
METHOD
1. Make the chermoula sauce: In a food processor, mix all the ingredients together and set aside. This chermoula will be the base for the chicken marinade and daghmira sauce.
2. Marinate the chicken with the chermoula sauce marinade, around 1 tablespoon per baby chicken. Preheat the oven to 180C and roast the baby chicken until cooked and browned.
3. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, heat water and add the chicken livers with the vinegar and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and strain. Cut the chicken livers in half and reserve.
4. In a large pan, heat olive oil, pour the chopped onions and add 2 tablespoons of the chermoula sauce. Stir well over high heat for 2-3 minutes and then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and let cook the onion until they become like compote. Stir frequently to avoid burning the onion.
5. In another pan, heat olive oil and vegetable oil and add the rest of the chermoula sauce. Stir well and add the olives, chopped chicken livers and few strips of preserved lemon. Stir well and add 1 to 2 cups of water. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
6. In a serving a dish, put the chickens in the middle and arrange the onion compote and the olives-liver sauce. Top with preserved lemon strips and serve.