Chicken Tajine with Preserved Lemons and Olives

Don't let the long list of ingredients fool you... this isn't that hard. Most of the stuff gets chucked in together. This is a Moroccan dish we've been wanting to try for awhile; something that has preserved lemons in it. This was a surprising dish in that we didn't know what the flavors would taste like together. Well, we weren't disappointed. This was good in a surprising way.

For the marinade:
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon paprika, sweet (Hungarian)
1 teaspoon ginger, fresh chopped
½ teaspoon saffron
2 onion, diced
2 bay leaf
1 tablespoon cumin
2 garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
½ preserved lemon
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed from one lemon

1.2 kg chicken, free-range
½ cup charmoula marinade, (see below)
4 tablespoons peanut oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon saffron
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon ginger
1 cinnamon stick
4 garlic, crushed
2 small onions, halved and finely sliced
1 tomato , peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, (UK=coriander) chopped
2 potatoes, large, cut into wedges
2 cups water
150 g green olives
1 preserved lemon, cut into 6 segments
cilantro, to garnish

First make the charmoula marinade, combine the first 13 ingredients (red pepper flakes through fresh lemon juice) in a bowl. Stir to combine and leave aside for 30 minutes. This yields three cups. (NOTE: You only need 1/2 cup of this marinade for the recipe. Save and freeze the rest. It is a great marinade for poultry or fish)

Wash and dry the chicken and cut into quarters. Rub all over with the 1/2 cup of marinade (I put then together into a Ziploc plastic bag and gave it a good shake) and refrigerate overnight (unless using free-range chicken, then only marinade for 30 minutes).

In a large heavy-based saucepan or flameproof casserole dish, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Add the salt, saffron, pepper, cumin, ginger, cinnamon stick, garlic and onion and cook for 10 minutes, turning the chicken over occasionally.

Add the tomato parsley, coriander (cilantro), potatoes and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and place into a tajine or serving dish. Reduce the stock for 5 minutes then add the olives and preserved lemon segments. To serve, place the potatoes around the chicken, cover with the sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro.