Chicken Braised with Green Olives
Ingredients:
- An assortment of chicken legs, thighs and wings weighing about 3 pounds
- 8 ounces green olives, preferably Sicilian, julienned by cutting the flesh away from the pit
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Preparation:
Put half the olives and the anchovy fillets in a food processor and chop very finely.
Choose a lidded saute’ pan large enough to accommodate all the chicken in a single layer. Put the olive oil and the garlic cloves in the pan and place over medium high heat. Saute’ until the garlic becomes golden brown then remove the cloves and discard them.
Raise the heat to high and pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and place them in the pan with the skin side down. Brown the chicken well on all sides then transfer it to a platter and season it with salt and pepper.
Add the wine and vinegar to the pan and let it bubble away until it has reduced by almost half. Add the chopped olives and anchovies and return the chicken to the pan, turning them in the sauce. Lower the heat to medium low and cover the pan with the lid slightly askew. Cook, turning the chicken occasionally, until it is very tender when pricked with a fork, about 35 to 40 minutes. If all the liquid in the pan evaporates before the chicken is done add a little water.
When the chicken is done uncover the pan and, if the sauce is too thin and watery, raise the heat to let it reduce. With the heat on medium low, add the lemon juice, olive pieces and parsley and cook for 1 or 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and serve hot.
Recipe courtesy of Giuliano Hazan. Used with permission.