Pan Seared Chicken With Olives Recipes

SKILLET LEMON CHICKEN WITH OLIVES AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F with the rack in the center position.
• Heat the oil in a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper then sprinkle with flour. When oil is hot, sear chicken about 3 minutes on each side.
• Add garlic, wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme and olives. Top with lemon slices if desired, transfer the pan to the oven and bake about 10 minutes, until 165F in the center.
• Serve hot topped with parsley.

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GRAPES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large, ovenproof high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear the chicken, skin-side down, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Then flip and brown the other side, 3 to 4 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches to avoid crowding the skillet. Transfer the browned chicken and any juices to a baking sheet or large plate.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, 1 cup of the grapes, the olives, capers, oregano, wine and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the butter. Add the chicken and any juices back to the skillet, skin-side-up. Sprinkle the remaining grapes around the chicken. Continue cooking over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Set the oven to broil with a rack set about 4 inches from the broiler.
• Place the skillet underneath the broiler to crisp the chicken skin, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
• To serve, divide the warm couscous among 4 plates and top each plate with 2 of the chicken thighs and a large spoonful of the sauce.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper and place in an earthenware baking dish in one layer, skin side up. Sprinkle with red pepper, garlic, fennel and rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Rub seasoning into thighs on all sides. Tuck lemon wedges here and there. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Put baking dish in oven, uncovered, and roast until skin browns lightly, about 20 minutes. Scatter olives evenly over chicken and add broth. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour, until meat is very tender when probed with a skewer.
• Remove thighs and lemon wedges and arrange on a platter. Keep warm. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and quickly skim fat from surface. Over high heat, simmer rapidly until reduced by half. Spoon juices over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SEARED CHICKEN WITH SALAMI AND OLIVES

Steps:

• If you're using chicken breasts, pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness with a heavy skillet or meat pounder. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes. (Breasts will be done before thighs.)
• While the chicken's cooking, place 1 cup of water near the stove. (You'll need it in the next step.) Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, leaving the skillet over the heat.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the salami and a few generous grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water, increase heat to a simmer and cook, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the olives, chicken and any juices from the plate. Simmer until the chicken is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the butter until incorporated. Taste the sauce; if it's too salty, add honey or brown sugar to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Put the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the chicken, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed, adjusting the heat so the chicken doesn't burn, until the pieces are browned on the bottom and release easily from the skillet, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue cooking, turning the chicken every few minutes, until it's brown all over, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
• Add the onions and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes; cook until the mixture starts to bubble and the tomatoes thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and let the mixture bubble for another 2 minutes.
• Add the olives and thyme, and return the chicken to the skillet, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles gently but steadily, then cover the skillet. Cook, turning the chicken every 10 minutes or so and adding a splash of stock or water if the sauce looks too dry, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 155 to 165). Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the parsley, and serve.

CRISPY PAN-SEARED CHICKEN AND ZUCCHINI WITH OLIVES AND LEMON

Steps:

• Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Using the tip of your knife, deeply score cut sides in a crosshatch pattern, spacing about 1/2" apart. Toss zucchini and 1 tsp. salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels (discard any liquid in bowl).
• Meanwhile, coat a large cast-iron skillet with 1 Tbsp oil. Season chicken on all sides with 1/4 tsp. pepper and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and arrange in cold skillet (skin side down) in a single layer. Heat over medium and cook, undisturbed, until skin is deep golden brown and chicken is almost cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Turn chicken and continue to cook just until cooked through and lightly browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter (skin side up).
• Arrange zucchini (cut side down) in hot chicken fat in skillet. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until surfaces are charred, 6-8 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until skin side is browned, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to platter with chicken.
• Heat garlic and remaining 6 Tbsp. oil in a small saucepan over medium until garlic is sizzling and just barely beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes. Add chile and olives and cook, stirring occasionally, until chile starts to sizzle and brown slightly, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in oregano and lemon zest.
• Spoon garlic oil over zucchini and chicken. Squeeze some lemon juice over and serve with additional wedges alongside.

VINEGAR CHICKEN WITH CRUSHED OLIVE DRESSING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with turmeric and 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Make sure chicken is skin-side up, then pour vinegar over and around chicken and place in the oven.
• Bake chicken, without flipping, until cooked through and deeply browned all over, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine olives, garlic, parsley, the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
• Once chicken is cooked, remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer chicken to a large serving platter, leaving behind any of the juices and bits stuck to the pan.
• Make sure the baking sheet is on a sturdy surface (the stovetop, a counter), then pour the olive mixture onto the sheet. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently scrape up all the bits the chicken left behind, letting the olive mixture mingle with the rendered fat and get increasingly saucy. Pour olive mixture over the chicken, then serve.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH SILKY PEPPERS AND GREEN OLIVES

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside at room temperature while preparing the vegetables (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours).
• Slice the peppers into 1/4-inch strips, removing the seeds. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Chop the tomato.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. When the oil thins out and coats the bottom of the pan, add chicken, skin side down, and sear until browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Do this in batches if necessary; don't crowd the pan. Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate as they brown.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and stir in peppers. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, remaining oregano and red-pepper flakes, and cook until garlic is lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until tomatoes begin to release their juices, 3 minutes.
• Lower heat to a simmer and nestle in the browned chicken, skin side up, pouring in any accumulated juices from the plate. Partly cover the pan and cook until chicken is cooked through and peppers are soft and stewy, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. In the last minute or two of cooking, stir in olives to let them heat up. Remove from heat, and sprinkle parsley or other herbs on top. Garnish with lemon wedges, if you like.