Anything with chicken, artichokes and olives is good in my book. This is easy and comes together in about 45 minutes, with only a plate and a pan to clean up. Serves 6-8:
Braised Chicken with Artichokes and Olives
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 1/4 cups white wine or chicken broth
- Two (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
- 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
In a shallow dish combine the flour, oregano, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat both sides.
Put a big plate near the stove. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Shake off excess flour from the chicken, add it to the skillet (do not crowd) and cook until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the wine or broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the artichokes and olives and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken pieces back in the skillet, along with any accumulated juices. It’s okay if they touch.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. (A meat thermometer should read 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the largest piece of chicken, or the juices should run clear if you stick a knife into them).
Remove the lid and, if necessary, simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt and/or pepper as desired. Serve and enjoy!
My verdict:
This was really good, but a couple of tweaks would make it great. Lemon juice and/or zest, perks it up. Preserved lemons, diced, would give it more of a tagine feel, as would a can of chickpeas. I used garlic powder instead of onion, because that’s what I had and a mix of black and green olives. Frozen artichoke hearts worked fine here. Just let them defrost and pat dry. I used a bag from Picard here (already quartered—love that), but if you’re in the US those from Trader Joe’s are good.
Serve over couscous, rice or even a small pasta (orzo?).
