Recipe - Chicken Simmered In Smen

3 pound Chicken; quartered*
2 Chicken livers
Three fourths cup Onion; minced
One fourth teaspoon Saffron threads; pulverized
Turmeric; to mix w/saffron
One half teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
One fourth cup Parsley; roughly chopped
One fourth cup ;Water
2 To 3 tb. smen
2 tablespoon Fresh sweet butter
One half Preserved lemon
2 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice

*See "Basic Method for Preparing Poultry" recipe.

Place prepared chicken in 5 One half qt. casserole with the livers and minced
onion. Sprinkle with the spices and 1 tsp. salt. Toss to coat evenly.

Puree parsley in blender or food processor with One fourth cup water. Add half the
"parsley water" and all of the smen to the casserole. Pour in 1 cup water;
bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for one hour, adding more
water if necessary. Remove chicken to a colander when very tender and keep
warm while the sauce simmers one full hour.

Heat the 2 tb. sweet butter in a skillet; gently brown the drained chicken
quarters. Transfer to a flameproof serving dish, cover, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, add the remaining "parsley water" to the sauce in the casserole
and, by boiling rapidly, uncovered, reduce to 1 One half cups. Dump the sauce,
livers, and odd bits of skin and bits in the blender. Whirl until the sauce
is smooth. Pour over the chicken and reheat.

Discard the pulp from the preserved lemon and dice the peel. Sprinkle minced
lemon peel over the chicken. Simmer 5 minutes, taste for seasoning, and add
additional salt if necessary. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve at once.

This is a classic dish from Fez.

From _Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco_ by Paula Wolfert. New
York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1987. Pp. 205206. ISBN 0060913967.
Typed for you by Cathy Harned.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini