Skillet Braised Chicken With Olives
Skillet Braised Chicken With Olives – Braising chicken and greens together in a skillet does wonderful things to both bird and vegetables.
As the chicken cooks, the skin browns, crisps and renders savory fat, which suffuses the greens with flavor.
The greens, in turn, make a soft, moist bed on which to cook the chicken, keeping the meat supremely tender.
In the end, the silky greens make a rich, mineral contrast to the juicy meat, while lemon juice and olives add brightness and acidity to the mix, giving it a needed jolt.
Serve this with crusty bread or mashed potatoes to catch all the juices.
Skillet Braised Chicken With Olives Recipe
Season chicken all over with ½ teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper and the paprika.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium-high.
Add shallots and a pinch of salt, and cook until pale golden brown all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add chicken to the skillet and let sear until it browns lightly on both sides and the onions turn a shade or two darker, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving the shallots in the pan.
Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
Add chopped greens, cilantro and another ¼ teaspoon salt to the pan, and stir, tossing to coat in the residual chicken fat.
It may seem like a lot of greens, but they will cook down.
Cook until they have just started to wilt, about 2 minutes.
Add the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet with the greens.
Pour in enough of the chicken stock to come halfway up the chicken.
Bring liquid to a gentle simmer.
Partly cover and allow the chicken to finish cooking through, 25 to 35 minutes.
Add more stock as needed to keep the greens tender and moist.
Stir in olives and cook uncovered until they are warmed through, about 1 minute more.
Squeeze one lemon half over everything, then taste greens, and add more salt or lemon juice if needed.
Serve topped with flaky salt, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and more smoked paprika.
Skillet Braised Chicken With Olives Recipe Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings
2¼ to 2½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
Fine sea salt or table salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon hot smoked paprika, plus more for serving (or use red-pepper flakes)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
1 cup sliced shallots, about 2 to 3 (or use red onion)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 to 2bunches sturdy greens, such as escarole, Swiss chard or kale, coarsely chopped (1 pound; about 10 to 12 cups)
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro or parsley
1¼ cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
½ cup pitted coarsely chopped Castelvetrano olives
1 lemon, halved
Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
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