Chicken with Lemon and Olives

Possibly my favourite recipe in this book - simple but powerful. I have made a few adjustments over the years, viz.

I take the skin off the chicken and use about half the amount of oil - just a little in the marinade and the rest to brown the chicken and onions.

Preserved lemons are easier to find these days than they were in 1994 - I use a small one plus the zest and juice of one fresh lemon. The pulp of the preserved lemon goes in the marinade, with a little of the fresh lemon juice if needed to make a paste (since there is less oil).

I don't add the saffron - it is ridiculously expensive so I generally save it for dishes where it's the principal or even the only spice. I sometimes add powdered ginger - about half a tsp.

I scrape the marinade off the chicken before browning as otherwise it tends to catch. I add it back in with the turmeric and olives and preserved lemon rind.

I sometimes add veg for more of a tagine-style result - carrot and fennel work well.