Chicken with Lemons and Olives Recipe | Mediterranean Foods
Ingredients
- 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1.5 kg/3-3½ lb chicken
- 30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 5 cm/2 in piece fresh root ginger, grated
- 600 ml/1 pint/2½ cups chicken stock
- 2 preserved lemons or limes, or fresh ones, cut into wedges
- 75 g/3 oz/½ cup pitted brown olives
- 15 m/1 tbsp clear honey
- 60 ml/4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Coriander sprigs, to garnish
Instructions
- #Preserved lemons and limes are frequently used in Mediterranean diet, particularly in North Africa where their gentle flavor enhances all kinds of meat and fish dishes.# Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F/Gas 5. Mix the ground cinnamon and turmeric in a bowl with a little salt and pepper and rub all over the chicken skin to give an even coating.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté or shallow frying pan and fry the chicken on all sides until it turns golden. Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof dish.
- Add the sliced onion to the pan and fry for 3 minutes. Stir in the grated ginger and the chicken stock and bring just to the boil. Pour over the chicken, cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and add the lemons or limes, brown olives and honey. Bake uncovered, for a further 45 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- Stir in the coriander and season to taste. Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve at once.