Chicken with Tomatoes & Olives
This dish features the sunny flavors of Provence. The chicken simmers in its own juices along with tangy tomatoes and a crisp white wine that together impart a delightfully tart quality.
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken, about 4 lb., cut into 10 pieces
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes with juices
- 2 tsp. herbes de Provence
- 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary or flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Season the chicken with the 1/2 tsp. salt and the 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches, add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter.
Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat in the pot. Set the pot over medium heat, add the shallots and garlic and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the herbes de Provence and red pepper flakes.
Return the drumsticks, thighs, wings and breasts, in that order, to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the chicken shows no signs of pink at the bone when pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and cover with aluminum foil. Remove the sauce from the heat and let stand for 3 minutes. Skim the fat off the sauce, then set the pot over medium-high heat and boil until reduced by about one-fourth, about 5 minutes. Add the olives and simmer until heated through, about 1 minute. Adjust the seasonings with salt and black pepper.
Divide the chicken among warmed bowls and pour the sauce on top. Sprinkle with the rosemary and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Chicken for Dinner (Weldon Owen, 2009).