chicken with carrots

Ingredients for 2 chickens weighing about 3 lbs each :

* 3kg (6 lbs 10 oz) of carrots * 1 1/2 ladleful of oil * 1 heaped teaspoonful of ginger

* 1 coffeespoonful of saffron (mixed packet saffron and crushed saffron flowes)

* 1 crushed garlic clove * 1 handful of chopped parsley * 1 teaglassful of lemon juice

* 15 preserved olives * the zest of 2 pickled lemons * salt

Preparation:

Dice the carrots fairly small, wash and leave to drain.Cut the chickens up into pieces and put in a thick-bottomed saucepan with the offal, salt, ginger, saffron, crushed garlic, oil and 2 glassfuls of water, Place over a moderate heat, put the lid on the saucepan and when it has boiled for a few seconds, stir to mix the spices well. Put the carrots in the saucepan still on the heat. Sprinkle with salt and a handful of chopped parsley. Continue cooking with the lid on and add a little water if necessary.

When the chickens and carrots are cooked, add the lemon zest cut into quarters, the olives and lemon juice. Leave to boil down until the sauce is thick and rich. Remove from the heat, Arrange the pieces of chicken on a dish with the offal and carrots on top and decorate with the olives and lemon zest. Serve very hot.