Ingredients

The following ingredients have 5 Servings
  • Extra-virgin olive oil (for the pan)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 large bone-in chicken thighs (skin removed)
  • 1 large onion (roughly diced (about 2 cups))
  • 4 large garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • Pinch saffron threads
  • 2 teaspoons boiling water
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
  • 7 ounces green olives (pitted)
  • 2 to 3 small store-bought or homemade preserved lemons
  • Cilantro or flat-leaf parsley (leaves picked and roughly chopped, for garnish)

Instruction

  • Heat a good drizzle olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and sear until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
  • Add the onion to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook just until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, coriander, and ginger and stir well. Return the chicken to the saucepan.
  • Meanwhile, grind the saffron with a mortar and pestle (or just crush it really well between your fingertips) and put it in a bowl. Add the boiling water and let it steep for a couple minutes.
  • Add the saffron water to the chicken in the pan and season with a generous amount of sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Pour in the chicken stock or broth, cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and gently simmer until the chicken meat is tender as can be and literally almost falling off the bones, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
  • Add the olives and preserved lemon slices to the pan and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat, garnish with the roughly chopped cilantro or parsley, and serve.