Braised Chicken with Lemon & Olives

By á-4084

This easy recipe for Braised Chicken with Lemon & Olives is simple enough for a weeknight meal and impressive enough to serve for a fancy party. Serve over couscous or rice, garnishing each portion with the fried lemon slices. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• GARNISH:
• 1 lemon cut crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
• 25 green olives, pitted and halved (see Note)
• 8 whole garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vermouth (optional but recommended)
• Fried lemon slices

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from newengland.com

Preparation

Step 1

Choose 8 of the nicest lemon slices and set aside. Set a 5- to 7-quart heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, lay the lemon slices in the oil in a single layer until nicely browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side. Remove and transfer lemon slices to a paper towel to drain, reserving all the oil in the pot.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken generously in the flour mixture and cook in 2 batches (4 in the first batch, 2 in the second). You want to brown the chicken on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the first batch of cooked chicken to a plate. As soon as you add the second batch of chicken to the pot toss in the olives, garlic, and oregano and let them cook, stirring occasionally, along with the chicken. Return all the chicken to the pot and add the chicken stock, raisins, and vermouth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 25 minutes. Halfway through cooking, set lid just slightly ajar to let sauce reduce some.

Taste the sauce and add salt as desired. Serve over couscous or rice, garnishing each portion with the fried lemon slices. For a thicker sauce, you can remove the chicken from the pot when it’s finished and reduce the liquid over high heat until it reaches your desired consistency.

Note:

Look for whole or pitted green olives packed in brine, not vinegar. Castelvetrano are a popular variety, as are Cerignola. If you can’t find green ones, use Kalamata or other black varieties. Just be sure they’re brined, not pickled. The best way to pit olives is to put each one on a cutting board and lay the flat side of a chef’s knife (or a metal pastry scraper) against it (sharp edge down). Hit the flat of the blade with the heel of your hand (avoiding the sharp edge) and the olive will split into two pieces.