Moroccan chicken tagine with lemon, olives and thyme

Ingredients

• 8-10 chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon . olive oil plus a pat of butter
• 1/2 large lemon cut into very thin wedges
• 6 ounces large green pitted olives
• 1/2 teaspoon. dried thyme

For the marinade:

• 1 onion, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
• a small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
• a pinch of saffron threads
• freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon. coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons. olive oil
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

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Preparation

• Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then add the chicken and stir to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a tagine or heavy-based casserole dish. Remove the chicken from the marinade and brown on both sides, working in batches if necessary.
• Pour the marinade over the chicken and add enough water to come halfway up the chicken pieces. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.
• Skim off any fat that's risen to the top. Add the lemon, thyme and olives. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.