Pan-Roasted Chicken with Olives and Lemon

I had planned on trying this recipe one day last week. Went out and bought all the ingredients and was going to make it for dinner. But somewhere between the plan and the execution, I got sick. I came home after work and instead of doing any cooking, went upstairs straight to bed. But there was that unused chicken that needed to be dealt with so Mr. L braved the germs and came up asking what he should do with said chicken. I was feeling like crap (again! What is it with this year?) and I wasn't very happy. So I started to whine. Oh there is nothing like a sick person pity party. "But I had this recipe all planned out and I was going to make us a nice dinner and now I'm sick and I don't feel good" and boo hoo for me! Big Whiney Sick Person. Mr. L very calmly said he'd make the dish I was going to make but noooooo, Big Whiney Sick Person went into that "Oh no, don't make the dish, it's too much trouble, don't worry about anything, just bake the chicken bare, just give me a cracker and I'll survive the night" (hey, I had a fever and did I mention I felt like crap?). Bur Mr. L was persistent that he'd make the dish, all I had to do was get him the recipe. I told him the recipe was in a magazine downstairs on the table. So Mr. L went to fetch the recipe. Only there were about ten magazines on that table all with little tabs sticking out with recipes I wanted to try. Back up the stairs Mr. L came with an armload of magazines still determined to make my chicken dish for me for dinner.

A bit of time later, through my sick fog, Mr. L came looking for my camera. The sweet man was not only cooking dinner according to the recipe I had requested, he was also taking photographs of the process so I could put it up on the blog. God I love this man.

When Mr. L brought up a tray with some of this Pan Roasted Chicken dish on it I knew we had a winner. It looked great all nicely presented for my sickbed meal.  Even through my stuffed up nose I could smell the wonderful aromas of the chicken, olives and lemons. Needless to say my feverish body devoured every last drop I was served. There isn't a lot of sauce with this but there were enough juices floating around my plate that I wished I'd had some crusty bread to sop up what was left. The chicken had a nice crisp skin and I loved the play of flavors with the lemon, shallots and olives.

The recipe looks simple enough to make but you'll have to hear from Mr. L as to any problems he had making the dish. I do know that to crisp up the chicken skin even a bit more, he broiled the dish for a bit at the end. I also, have some preserved lemons that I made at Christmas that I might try in this dish next time. The recipe came from the February/March 2010 issue of Fine Cooking Magazine.

I suggest you print out this post and next time you get sick, show this to your significant other and say "Mr. L did this for her" and see how far you get.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH OLIVES AND LEMON

1 4-lb. chicken, cut into eight pieces
  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium lemon
1 Tbs. unsalted butter; more as needed
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
5 medium shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
3/4 cup jarred brined olives, rinsed, pitted, and halved
8 fresh sage leaves
6 small fresh or 3 dried bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 tsp. chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Season the chicken generously on all sides with salt and pepper.

Cut the ends off the lemon, stand it on one end, and slice off the peel and the bitter white pith to expose the flesh. Cut the lemon segments from the membranes, letting them drop into a small bowl. Cut each segment crosswise into 4 pieces.

Heat the butter and the oil in a 12-inch oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken skin side down until golden-brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off all but 2 Tbs. of the fat. Add the shallots, olives, sage, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and lemon segments, and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan skin side up and transfer to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 degrees F., 18 to 20 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with the chopped thyme. Serves 4

Note: The olives I used were jarred red pepper stuffed green olives from Greece (Olympia Xenia brand). In the magazine story about olives, where this recipe came from, it said that you could make this with any olives you have on hand...black, green or a combination (as a way to use up leftover olives you might have sitting around). 

Note: Mrs. L used Turkish bay leaves.

Note: Mr. L said he left the pan in the oven and broiled the chicken skin side up for the last three minutes.

Truly a good recipe that I will keep to make again in the future. Worthy of guests too.

Comments

[Chris]

You are a blessed woman! He even took pictures for your blog, that ROCKS.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[foodhoe]

Awww, that is a great story. Mrs. L you are a lucky woman... and the pictures he took are awesome, the crispy skin is killing me!

[Mrs. L]

Chris - Yeah, I was pretty happy that he would go to all that trouble for my little ole blog. And I'm feeling much better (and less whiney) thanks!

Foodhoe - I know it's better to not eat the skin but it was a perfect crispness and, well, couldn't help myself, ate it and enjoyed the heck out of it!

[Louise]

What a wonderful husband! Mr L takes the cake on this one for sure. As for the recipe, I think I can smell the wonderfulness right through the computer.