Makes about 35 canapés, or serves 5 as a main course

1.5kg chicken breasts and thighs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground white pepper

125g purple or green pitted olives, plus extra to garnish canapés

1½ pickled lemons, plus extra to garnish canapés (available from good supermarkets)

50g butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of saffron, infused in a small amount of warm water

3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Sprinkle the chicken with half of the salt and white pepper, and put to one side.

Blanch the olives to remove the excess salt: plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds and rinse under cold running water. Repeat the process twice, changing the boiling water each time. Drain the olives and set aside in a colander.

Remove and discard the flesh and pips from the pickled lemons. Rinse the peel, dry, then cut into large slices. Keep to one side.

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onion and fry for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Next, add the garlic, ginger, saffron and the remaining salt and pepper, and stir well.

Add the chicken pieces, turning them to coat thoroughly with the spices, then add 100ml water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and leave to cook slowly for one hour, turning the chicken several times. If necessary, add a little more hot water during the cooking period.

After an hour, add the olives, pickled lemon peel, coriander and parsley, then stir, cover and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Check the seasoning once the chicken is cooked, and adjust to taste. If the sauce is too runny, remove the chicken pieces, cover with foil and keep to one side. Bring the sauce to the boil and cook for 5 minutes to reduce it.

Place the chicken in a warm tagine dish. Stir the sauce and quickly pour it over the chicken. Serve straight away, piping hot, with some bread to soak up the juices.

To serve as a canapé, cut the chicken into small cubes and skewer each piece with a blanched olive and a slice of pickled lemon. Arrange on a plate and drizzle over some sauce. Serve the leftover sauce as a dip.

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