chicken with meslalla crushed olives

Ingredients for 2 chickens weighing about 3 lbs each :

* 1 1/2 kg (3 lbs 5 oz) of meslalla olives * 1 heaped teaspoonful of ginger

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

* 1 crushed garlic clove * 3/4 ladleful of groundnut oil * 1 soupspoon ful of paprika

* 1 seaspoonful of cumin * 1 teaglassful of lemon juice (or more to taste) * salt

Preparation: 

Stone the olives. Bring them to the boil 3 times running, changing the water each time. Add salt the third time. Remove from the water, leave to drain and press the excess water out. Put on one side, Cut the chickens up into pieces, put in a thick-bottomed saucepan with the offal, salt, ginger, saffron, crushed garlic and oil. Add two big glassful of water .

Cook with the lid on over a moderate heat turning the pieces over frequently. Add water if necessary. Take out the pieces of chicken when cooked and put on one side. Let the sauce boil down to a rich thick consistency and add, while it is still cooking, the paprika, cumin and lemon juice and mix well. Add the olives and bring back to the boil. Let boil down until the sauce is thick. Check the seasoning and take off the heat. Before serving re-heat the chicken in the saucepan with olives. Arrange the pieces of chicken on a dish with the olives on top.