6 pounds chicken -- cut in serving piece 2 tablespoons coarse salt 7 garlic clove 1 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons ginger 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 pinch saffron 3 large onion -- grated 4 tablespoons butter 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup olives -- pref Greek Kalamata 8 slices pickled lemon Rub the chicken pieces well with a mixture of the salt and 4 of the garlic cloves, finely chopped. Let stand 1 hour for flavors to penetrate then wip off the garlic salt. Mix the oil, ginger, turmeric, pepper and saffron, and rub the chicken pieces with this mixture. Put them in a large bowl with any remaining oil mixture and marinate, covered and refrigerated for 8 hours or overnight. To cook, put the chicken in a large pot with the onion, remaining garlic, coarsely chopped, butter, chicken broth and 2 cups water. Simmer until tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken and rapidly boil the liquid down to a thick rich sauce, stirring frequently. Add the olives and pickled lemon slices, replace chicken, and reheat in the sauce. Serve with couscous or rice pilaf and a bowl of extra pickled lemons. To pickle lemons: 6 lemons vegetable oil coarse salt Sprinkle the lemons about 1/4" thick, peel and all, put in colander, sprinkle heavily with salt. Cover with plastc wrap and drain over a bowl for 24 hours, until limp, with most of the juice drawn out. Wash off salt. Pack the lemon slices into a 1 quart jar, sprinkling them with about 2 T more salt. Fill the jar with vegetable oil. Cover the jar with lid and let lemons stand from 1 to 3 weeks, by which time they will be soft, mellow and not at all bitter. Keep pickled lemons for months in the refrigerator.
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