½ a preserved lemon (lemon soaked in a jar in 1 part salt to 3 parts water for two months)
4 pieces of chicken of the bone
1 small red onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp fresh coriander and parsley
1 tsp black pepper
1¼ tsp ginger
1 heaped tsp turmeric
Pinch of saffron
1tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
8-10 olives
Cut the preserved lemon in half and scoop out and chop the flesh and add it to the tagine pot. Set the peel aside for later.
Chop and crush the garlic and add it to the lemon. Add all the spices, the olive oil and the ghee, and mix.
Coat the chicken in the mixture and leave to marinade, preferably overnight.
Chop and add the onion and cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes, turning twice during this time.
Add 250ml water to the sauce and leave to simmer on a low heat for another 45 minutes.
Chop the lemon skin into ‘hand-shaped’ fans (representing 'the hand of Fatima', a superstitious symbol that is believed to ward off evil) and use them to decorate the dish along with the olives.