Cut the breasts on the diagonal to make small cutlets.
Heat olive oil and a tiny bit of butter in a heavy pan and brown the chicken pieces quickly using medium-high heat. Take care not to overcook the chicken in this step.
Remove chicken to a plate, add the slivered onions and cook over low heat until the onions are nicely browned, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the onions to a second plate.
Heat the chicken stock in the microwave until it’s very warm, then stir in the saffron.
Put the chicken back into the pan, arrange the onions over the chicken, and pour the saffron-infused chicken stock over.
Cover the pan and cook over a very low simmer for about 30 minutes without turning the chicken.
After 30 minutes, add the lemon juice and parsley, and a bit of water if needed and simmer 10-15 minutes more. Serve hot, over rice if desired.
