- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh gingerroot
- a 3-inch cinnamon stick
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh coriander plus additional for garnish if desired
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
- a pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- a 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, trussed
- 1/4 cup Niçoise or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 preserved lemon (small), chopped fine
- rice pilaf as an accompaniment
- In a large ovenproof kettle stir together the onion, the garlic, the gingerroot, the cinnamon stick, 3 tablespoons of the coriander, the parsley, the lemon juice, the saffron, the oil, and 1 cup water, put the chicken on top of the mixture, and season it with salt and pepper.
- Bake the chicken, covered, in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 45 minutes, transfer it to a cutting board, and let it stand, covered loosely, for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters.
- To the onion mixture add the olives and the preserved lemon, bring the sauce to a boil, and simmer it, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is thickened. Return the chicken to the kettle and simmer the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the chicken is just heated through. Discard the cinnamon stick and serve the chicken with the rice pilaf, sprinkled with the additional coriander.