Lemon Chicken Tajine

I know lamb isn't all that easy to find or afford around you, Ron. So, if you’re anxious to try a North African dish, here is one that introduces the flavors of the Maghreb, but which doesn’t require any special, hard-to-find ingredients. You can, if you happen to have one, use a preserved lemon as garnish. But you won’t be missing anything without it:

 Lemon Chicken with Cilantro and Olives

2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves peeled and crushed

Bunchy of cilantro, finely chopped

Leaves from a bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cumin    

1 tsp ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

¾ cup olive oil

1 ½ cups water

1 chicken, abut 3 ½ lbs, cut into serving pieces

To garnish:

5-6ounces soft green or purple olives at room temperature

1 preserved lemon (optional)

In a large bowl mix the onion, garlic, half the cilantro and parsley, the spices, salt, half the lemon juice, the zest and the olive oil. Dilute with the water to make a sauce.

Rub some of the sauce over the chicken pieces and place them in a large cooking pot or tagine. Pour the rest of the mixture around the meat, cover, and simmer over medium heat for 30-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the remaining cilantro and parsley and pour over the remaining lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook a few more minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce.

Arrange the chicken on a dish with the sauce and garnish with the olives and slices of preserved lemon.