Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Lemon
Chicken thighs are the basis for many simple skillet dinners, like this version made with meaty olives and a surprise ingredient—mildly spicy jalapeño chile. And since everything is assembled in a single pan, cleanup is a breeze.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 small jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
- 4 Tbs. (1/3 oz./10 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) dry white wine
- 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) pitted meaty green olives, such as Cerignola, quartered
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon, zest removed in thin strips
Directions
In a large ovenproof fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange 4 of the thighs, skin side down, in the pan. Cook, without turning, until crispy and golden brown on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. Repeat to brown the remaining thighs. Pour off and discard all but about 2 Tbs. of the fat in the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion to the pan and sauté until beginning to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño and 2 Tbs. of the parsley and sauté until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes longer.
Return all of the chicken thighs, skin side up, to the pan and pour in 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) of the wine. Simmer gently, uncovered, until most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces and add the olives and lemon zest. Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup wine and cook at a gentle simmer until most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes longer. Add the lemon juice and raise the heat to medium. Turn the thighs and cook until opaque throughout and the juices run clear when you insert a fork into the thickest part of a thigh, about 5 minutes longer.
Position a broiler pan 4 inches (10 cm) below the heat source and preheat the broiler. Transfer the frying pan to the broiler and broil just to brown and crisp the chicken skin, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the thighs to a serving platter and pour the pan juices over them. Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbs. parsley on top and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Rustic Italian, by Domenica Marchetti (Weldon Owen, 2011)