Instructions: Handful waxy green olives from the deli counnter (not the jarred sort in brine)

Fit the four chicken pieces snugly into a shallow casserole pan and push the grated onion and crushed garlic between them.

Next chuck the backbone and wings into a saucepan with the halved onion coriander stems (if using) salt and pepper and about 1 1/2 litres of water and gently bubble until reduced to about one third of its original volume.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan melt the butter add a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and the sprigs of thyme and very gently stew without frying for about 5 minutes.

Allow it to cool until the milk solids separate and sink to the bottom then gently strain through a sieve over the chicken pieces leaving the milky part behind (this can be discarded).

Next sprinkle the ground cinnamon and ginger over the chicken slot in the cassia bark or cinnamon sticks and fill the gaps with the wedges of lemon.

Finally strain the stock of its debris and pour enough of it into the casserole to halfsubmerge the chicken pieces.

Lightly season again.

Sprinkle the saffron into the liquid cover leaving a small gap between pot and lid to allow steam to escape and set over a very low heat so that the liquid barely murmurs for about 60 minutes.

Add the olives minutes from the end.

If you dont want to make your own stock then buy fresh chilled stock and use chicken legs instead of quarters. Do try to get preserved lemons however (available from middle Eastern delis and supermarkets) they make a huge difference to the end result. Eat with couscous.

Serves 4

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