Chicken with Olives & Pine Nuts

Name: Chicken with Olives & Pine Nuts
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 3 1/2 to 4 pounds assorted cut-up chicken pieces; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter; 3 plump garlic cloves, peeled; 2 bay leaves, preferably fresh; 1 cup brine-cured green Italian olives or oil-cured black Italian olives; 1/2 cup white wine; 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts; A 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet or sauté pan, with a cover; an olive pitter

December 9, 2011

Pan-cooked chicken, caramelized and sticky to the fingers, moist and flavorful inside, is a favorite food around the world. If there are chicken-lovers in your family (as in mine), this Le Marche version is sure to be a hit. Its special taste and texture come from the region’s big fat Ascolane olives, which imbue the chicken with flavor, and the crunch of native pine nuts. Though authentic Ascolane olives are fantastic in this dish, they’re only occasionally available in the United States. But other varieties of green, brine-cured Italian olives (such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola) will be delicious, too; just keep in mind that the saltiness of olives will vary, and season accordingly. “How about black olives?” you ask. And I say, “Black oil-cured olives will be delicious as well; even a green-and-black combination would be nice.” Choose your preferred chicken pieces, too. A whole bird, cut up, is fine, though all dark meat—drumsticks and thighs—is my favorite. And if you are in a hurry (or watching your fat intake), use breast pieces. With these, you can cut the oil and butter in the recipe in half and, because breast meat cooks faster, brown the pieces initially for only 10 minutes, turn them, add the olives, then cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Recipe notes