A country style dish from Abruzzi and Molise region of Italy
Made this dish at least 3 times since I saw
Mary Ann Esposito making it on
Ciao Italia. We are having it again this week.
You are supposed to use Cerignola green olives but I couldn't find them. Instead, we have been using Castelvetrano green olives.
Chicken with Olives, Lemons and Red Peppers
(from Ciao Italia)
Serves 4 generously
1/2 cup pitted green olives
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 T. fresh sage leaves
1 T. fresh rosemary needles
1 t. salt
coarse black pepper to taste
pinch of ground nutmeg
zest and juice of 2 large lemons
3. 5 pounds cut up chicken pieces (thighs work well)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup red wine
1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded, cut into thin strips
Coarsely chop together the olives, garlic, sage, and rosemary. (You can also do it in a mini-processor to save time.) Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the chicken pieces (a 9x12 inch pan).
Stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the zest and the lemon juice. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat them in the mixture. (I add the lemon rinds, too.) Cover and refrigerate overnight. (But I have done it a few hours in advance with equally good results.)
When ready to cook, heat the olive oil in a saute pan large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Brown the pieces well on both sides. It isn't specified in the recipe, but I add all of the marinade bits --- the olives, garlic, lemon and herbs ---into the pan, except the lemon rinds, Raise the heat to high and stir in the red wine. Cook 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the peppers during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Serve the chicken hot with some pan juices.
Roasted potatoes with garlic and thyme (see recipe
here) go well with this dish.
B
