Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Preserved Lemon

Ingredients

• 2  bay leaves 
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns whole black
• 3.5 pound meat from a rotisserie chicken free-range cut into 10 pieces
• 1 cup chicken stock see 
• 2 cups chicken stock see hot
• 1  cinnamon sticks 
• 1.5 cups couscous 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
• 10  apricots dried chopped
• 1 handful cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley leaves fresh chopped for garnish
• 4 cloves garlic sliced
• 1  juice of orange juiced
• 2 cups kosher salt 
• 6 servings kosher salt and pepper black freshly ground
• 6  to 8 lemons 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
• 3 tablespoons olive oil for frying extra-virgin plus more
• 0.5 cup cracked olives green
• 1 medium onion coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon pepper flakes red
• 1 large pinch saffron threads 
• 2  scallions green sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon paprika sweet hot

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• tajine pot

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and cloves until they start to smoke.
2. Remove from the heat and grind in a spice grinder.
3. In a bowl large enough to accommodate the chicken, add the oil, spice mix, garlic, ginger, cilantro, bay leaves and saffron.
4. Mix to a paste.
5. Add chicken, rubbing the marinade over all the pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
6. Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve marinade. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a tagine or large casserole over medium high heat add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Put in chicken pieces and lightly brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
7. Add onions and cook until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Rinse preserved lemon well. Scoop out flesh and discard; cut peel into strips and add to pan.
8. Add reserved marinade, olives, and chicken stock. Cover tightly and cook over medium low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
9. Remove bay leaf and discard. Taste juices and adjust seasoning.
10. Place chicken on a warm platter. Spoon juices with the preserved lemon, olives, and onions over chicken and serve accompanied by Couscous with Apricots.
11. Wash lemons well and dry them.
12. Cut 4 lemons into quarters from the top, being careful not to cut all the way through. Pack salt generously into the cuts and place lemon into a sterilized glass pint jar. Continue procedure, packing the lemons into the jar as tightly as possible. Squeeze juice from remaining lemons.
13. Add another 2 tablespoons of salt to the jar and top off with the lemon juice, make sure the lemons are completely covered. Close the jar with a non-metallic lid and set aside in a cool, dark place or the refrigerator for one month. Preserved lemons will keep for 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.