In Chef John's recipe for chicken and olives, the briny, sour bite of the olives complements the chicken perfectly.
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with a bit of the salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a pot on high heat. Fry the chicken pieces on all sides until they are half cooked (about 5-7 minutes). Keep moving the pieces around so they don’t stick to the pot.
Remove the chicken and set aside. In the same pot and the same oil, fry the sliced onions until translucent.
Lower the heat to medium, and add the remaining salt and black pepper, together with the turmeric, coriander and saffron. Mix well.
Put the chicken pieces back in the pot and mix with the onions. Add the water, put the heat back on high and let it come to a boil. Then lower to medium and let simmer for 3-5 minutes uncovered.
Put the chicken mixture with all the sauce in a deep oven dish. Add the chickpeas, olives and lemon pieces. Cover with aluminum foil and cook in the oven for 50-60 minutes at 180C.
Take the dish out of the oven and uncover. Add the parsley and continue to cook in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes uncovered.