Chicken Mhamer: Moroccan-style chicken

A very tasty dish that is very popular in Morocco and is served on special occasions or when entertaining. The chicken is cooked in a smooth sauce with a subtle blend of spices before being browned in the oven. . 

Serves 6. Preparation time: 30 minutes. Total cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

Ingredients :

• 1 free-range chicken weighing 1.5 kg
• 2 sliced onions
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• chicken giblets (liver)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander and parsley
• 80 ml of oil
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 tsp rancid butter
• 1 heaped teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 tsp sweet chili pepper
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• salt
• water
• some saffron threads
• 1 preserved lemon
• green or purple olives

Preparation :

Start by thoroughly washing the chicken by rubbing it with salt and fresh lemon, inside and out, rinse it and let it drain.

In a container, put the spices (leave a small portion for the sauce), salt, garlic, chopped parsley and coriander, lemon juice, add a little water and mix.

Coat the chicken inside and out with this marinade and let it marinate for half an hour.

In a casserole dish, put the oil, rancid butter, finely chopped onion, chicken giblets cut into small pieces, add the rest of the spices, saffron, salt, add the chicken and fry over medium heat for a few minutes turning the chicken on all sides.

Add the remaining marinade and two large glasses of water, two slices of preserved lemon, cover and cook until the chicken meat easily falls off the bone.

During cooking, turn the chicken over from time to time so that it cooks on all sides; if the chicken is not yet cooked and you find that there is not enough sauce, do not hesitate to add water and let it cook.

Remove the cooked chicken and place it in an ovenproof dish, before brushing it with a little butter and browning it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add a handful of olives to the sauce and let it reduce until it becomes a smooth and thick sauce.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter with its sauce and decorate with olives and preserved lemon.

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