D'jaj m'Hamer

• porsi: SERVES 6

Bahan-bahan

chicken 1.5kg, spatchcocked (see cook's notes)

olive oil 2 tbsp

red onions 2, finely chopped

chicken livers 200g, finely chopped

pitted green olives 180g

preserved lemons 2, pulp discarded and flesh finely chopped

butter 30g

flat-leaf parsley a small handful, chopped

lemon wedges, green salad and chips to serve

MARINADE

ground cumin 2 tsp

ground black pepper 1 tsp

paprika 2 tsp

ground turmeric ½ tsp

ground ginger 2 tsp

ground cinnamon 1 tsp

saffron a pinch

lemon 1 , zested and juiced

garlic 8 cloves, roughly chopped

coriander a small bunch, roughly chopped

flat-leaf parsley a small bunch, roughly chopped

olive oil 4 tbsp

Petunjuk

• Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a food processor, season well and blend to a smooth paste. Cut a few slits into the legs of the chicken and put in a shallow dish. Rub the paste all over, making sure that the whole bird is completely covered. Push the marinade under the skin. Cover and marinate overnight.

• Heat the oil in a large, lidded, shallow pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken livers, olives and preserved lemons, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

• Put the chicken, breast-side down, into the pan and pour over enough water to cover about ⅔ of the way up (about 650ml). Bring to the boil over a high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 1½ hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and beautifully juicy. If the lid doesn't quite close, weight it down with something heavy to reduce evaporation. Heat the grill to high. Remove the chicken from the sauce and put on a baking tray. Rub the butter over the breast and legs of the chicken and place under the hot grill for 10 minutes to become golden and crisp. Remove from the grill and put on a warm serving dish. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, bring the pan back to the boil over a medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken. Scatter over the parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges and a green salad. Oh, and don't forget the chips!

Catatan

Translated as 'red chicken', a reference to the bird being poached in spices and then fried until crisp (reddish), this is a knock-out Moroccan meal. I had seen fried chicken and chips on a few menus and slightly turned my nose up at it. However, once I tried the real deal, / was hooked. The meat soaks up al/ the flavour of the aromatic herbs and spices, and is then cooked again to turn golden. Whip up a batch of homemade chips or have a root around the freezer to see if you have any lurking at the back.

COOK'S NOTES

To spatchcock a chicken, put it breast-side down on a board. Use kitchen scissors to cut down either side of the backbone, then remove and discard it. Turn the bird over and press down to flatten it into a spatchcock shape (see the picture on page 29).