Chickenwithcarrotsandolives Recipes

CHICKEN WITH CARROTS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 2 T. of olive oil, over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken to the heated skillet, in a single layer. Cook chicken, turning once, until it is browned but not fully cooked through. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, trying to leave as much oil in the skillet as possible.
• Add the lemon to the skillet in a single layer. Cook them, turning once, until browned on both sides - about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 T. olive oil, the carrots and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until carrots are just slightly soft - this should take about 2 minutes. Add the water and cook until carrots are crisp tender and the liquid has evaporated - this should take about 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika and cinnamon and cook for about 1 minute more.
• Return chicken to the skillet, and any accumulated juices. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, olives and seson with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through - this should take about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving bowl and sprinkle with almonds.
• Serve with couscous.

OLIVE OIL-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED CARROTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• If the carrots have their green tops, trim them so that the stems are about 1/2- to 1-inch long. Save the greens for garnish or for using in salsa verde or pesto. (They can be treated like parsley.)
• Arrange chicken in a large shallow baking dish or shallow braising pot - about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts - so that the legs are snug and lying flat. Scatter garlic head halves, carrots, lemon slices and oregano sprigs among the chicken pieces, nestling everything in there. (It's O.K. if the carrots stick out a bit.) Pour the olive oil over the chicken and vegetables. (Yes, you're using all that oil! Don't worry, it can be repurposed; see Tip.) Season again with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven, uncovered, and roast until the chicken is so tender it nearly falls off the bone and the carrots and lemons are nicely caramelized, 55 to 65 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Divide chicken, vegetables and lemons among plates (or serve straight from the dish it was cooked in). Scatter with carrot tops, if you have them, and more oregano before eating. Reserve the leftover schmaltzy olive oil in the baking dish for another purpose.

CHICKEN AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Season skin-side of chicken with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Turn breasts over and season skinless side with salt, black pepper, cayenne, and herbes de Provence. Turn again so that the skin-side is facing up; rest for 10 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place chicken skin-side down in hot oil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook chicken until skin is well-browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and cook until just browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir shallots in the hot skillet until just softening and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir olives into shallots and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Pour the chicken broth into the skillet; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the reserved olive brine, lemon zest, and cumin; increase heat to high and cook until sauce is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and return chicken, skin-side up, to the skillet. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.
• Stir parsley and butter into sauce, stirring continuously until butter is melted and sauce is shiny. Spoon sauce over chicken.