Delectable Chicken with Olives and Grapes

amazing chicken

This chicken is so flavorful and delicious that I just about teared up with happiness when I tasted it. It’s amazing!!  The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is delivering home run after home run. This dish is almost effortless, but the flavors are unique and the salty sweetness of the sauce really sets it apart.

To enjoy this feast, preheat your oven to 450ºF. Separate three chicken quarters into legs and thighs, and season them with salt and pepper. Mince 2 small shallots, and then heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet with some vegetable oil. Once the pan is very hot, sear the chicken on both sides, cooking the skin side first. To get maximum color on your chicken, don’t move it around in the pan, and don’t flip it until the skin releases itself. If you’re tugging on the chicken, it’s not ready to flip. You also don’t want to crowd the pan, so brown the pieces in batches if you have to.

Stella chicken

Once the chicken pieces are browned, arrange them in an even layer in the skillet. Pour over the minced shallots, 3/4 cup of pitted kalamata olives, and 3/4 cup of red grapes, letting everything settle between the chicken pieces. Bake the chicken for 20-30 minutes or until it is fully cooked.  When the chicken is finished, remove it from the oven, and transfer all of the chicken, olives, grapes, and shallots to a serving platter.

Add 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the skillet, and bring the liquid to a boil. Scrape up any bits of chicken that are stuck to the pan so they can make your sauce even more delicious. Let the sauce reduce by half, and then pour it over the chicken in the serving dish. Garnish the chicken with freshly chopped rosemary for beautiful color and a nice flavor balance. This dish is great served over cous cous because the grain soaks up any extra sauce. Even Stella knew that this chicken was some really good stuff. She gave her best cute puppy face to get a little nibble, and I’m sure it was one of the most delicious things she ever had. I know it was for me!

Shopping list:

  • Chicken quarters- 3
  • Grapes- 3/4 cup
  • Olives- 3/4 cup
  • Shallots- 2
  • White wine- 1/2 cup
  • Chicken stock- 1/2 cup
  • Rosemary
  • Salt, pepper, and vegetable oil
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Comments

Delectable Chicken with Olives and Grapes — 1 Comment

  1. This recipe is unusual to cook grapes and olives with chicken quarters. This is new to me and sounds wonderful ,especially if Stella is enchanted with the aroma.

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