I watched Lidia Bastianich make braised chicken with olives on her television show a while back and it’s been haunting me ever since. Potatoes and olives seem like such a lovely idea in the same dish! The flavor combination looked just perfect to me and so I muddled around on the internet and found a recipe that looked good on the food network and made it this weekend. I did change a few things to suit it to my taste a bit more but the essence is the same as Lidia’s.
Braised Chicken with Potatoes and Olives
Ingredients
- 8 skin on bone in chicken thighs
- 2 T olive oil
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
- 2 T tomato paste
- 1 T chopped fresh sage
- 3 t chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 8 small red-skinned potatoes, quartered
- 1/2 cup pitted green olives plus 1/4 cup brine from the jar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- kosher salt and pepper from the mill
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper to taste
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and add olive oil
- brown chicken on both sides until crispy – about 5 minutes per side
- Remove to a plate and set aside
- Reduce the heat and add the garlic, onion, carrots, tomato paste, sage and rosemary
- Cook scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot for 3 or 4 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly
- Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan again to get all the good bits up into the sauce
- Add olives, brine and potatoes
- Nestle the chicken in the pot then pour one cup of broth and one cup of water over it
- Reduce the heat to medium low and cover
- Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper
I served this with a chunk of Italian bread and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and there were no complaints. Actually, no one spoke at all, they were too happy eating to bother with conversation.
When the family came up for air, the consensus was that as usual, Lidia knows what she’s talking about when it comes to food!
Like every other recipe you post, this one looks delicious. I will give it a try, as I always have everything listed on hand.
Hi Pondside,
Hope you like it!
RMW
Recipes from Lidia have always been a favorite of mine. This one will certainly find a place in my book, and since I am heading to my children on the coast, they will be the first to try it out. Hope the house is turning into a home and that you are enjoying living there.
★★★★
Phyllis,
Have a good time with your family! I hope they like the recipe.
RMW
I’m not a big olive lover, but the briny flavor sounds perfect with chicken.
Chicken and olives are a wonderful combination. This really looks wonderful! Thanks for the inspiration.
Velva
There is something very comforting about a bowl of braised chicken…so tender it literally meals in your mouth.