Djej Masquid Bil Beid - Chicken with Eggs, Lemons, and Olives Recipe

This recipe adapted from Paula Wolferts great cookbook "COUSCOUS and other good food from Morocco"  - if there is only one cookbook to have about Moroccan food this is the one! 

Paula says " This is one of my favorite Moroccan dishes."

1. Place the cleaned chickens in a casserole.

2. Add 2/3 cup of the chopped parsley, the chopped garlic, grated onion, salt, spices, half the butter and the cinnamon sticks. 

3. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil.

4. Simmer, covered, about one hour or until the chickens are very tender, and the flesh is almost falling off the bone. -You may need to add more water during the cooking time

5. Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F

6. Transfer the chickens, (but not the sauce) to the serving dish.

7. Remove any loose bones and cinnamon sticks from the sauce and the casserole, and by boiling rapidly, uncovered, reduce to 2 cups of thick, rich sauce.

8. Pour over the chickens.

9. Beat the eggs to a froth with the remaining parsley.

10. Rinse and dice the preserved lemons, using the pulp if desired.

11. Stir the lemons and chopped olives into the eggs and pour the egg mixture over the chickens.

12. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes.

13. Raise the oven heat to the highest setting, remove the aluminum foil cover, and dot the eggs with the remaining melted butter.

14. Transfer the dish to the upper shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the eggs are completely set, and the chickens have browned slightly.

15. Sprinkle with yuzu juice and serve at once.

Please note 6 Moroccan pigeons or three squabs may be substituted for the chickens, in which case the dishes called Frach masquid bil beid.