Ingredients

• 10 cloves garlic smashed

• 1⁄4 teaspoon saffron threads, pulverized

• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground or fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 10 chicken thighs with bone, skin removed

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1⁄2 cup calamata olives, pitted

• 1⁄2 cup green olives, pitted

• 2 lemons (ideally Meyer) cut into quarters

• 1 preserved lemons (sold in specialty food shops) sliced

  into 4 rounds and then cut into quarters

• 1 big bag of Baby spinach

Directions

• In a large mixing bowl, mix garlic, fresh lemon and preserved lemon, saffron, ginger, paprika, cumin, and turmeric together. Salt and pepper the chicken and add it to the bowl. Rub chicken with mixture, cover, refrigerate and marinate 3 to 4 hours.

• Pour chicken and mixture into a large Dutch oven or tagine. Scatter olives over the chicken. Tuck the chicken pieces so that they lay in one row and are covering garlic pieces, lemon wedges, or olives.

For traditional oven: turn oven to 450° F, cover the Dutch oven and put in the oven cold. After 45-60 minutes, remove from heat, check the chicken to see that it is well done (falling off the bone). Turn on broiler and return to oven for 3 minutes to color up the chicken.

For wood burning stove: heat the stove to 300° F (range) add covered Dutch oven to stove and allow it to cook slowly for 1.5 – 2 hours. Check every 45 minutes to see that it is progressing well. Once the chicken is done remove from oven and serve.

To serve: Scatter baby spinach in a large serving platter, spoon the chicken, olives, and broth on the spinach. Serve with good French baguette to sop up the tasty broth!

Yield: 4-5 servings

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