Braised Chicken With Escarole And Sicilian Olives Recipes

BRAISED ESCAROLE WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

Steps:

• Break off the leaves of the escarole and wash them individually, taking care to remove any soil at the base of the stems. Shake the leaves dry, stack them up, and slice the escarole crosswise into ribbons about 1 1/2-inches wide.
• Place a large deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Toss in the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and lemon slices; cook and stir for a couple of minutes, tossing to combine. Nestle the escarole into the pan and saute until it begins to wilt and shrink down, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the escarole with a pinch of sugar and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the water and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes until the escarole is tender.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ESCAROLE AND SICILIAN OLIVES

Steps:

• Trim chicken thighs of excess fat, and dry well on paper towels. Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place chicken in skillet, skin-side down, and sear until skin is well-browned, about 5 minutes. Turn thighs with tongs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sear until second side is golden, about 3 minutes more.
• Pour off fat. Reduce heat to low, add olive oil, and half of the sliced garlic, shallots and the herbs, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 40 seconds. Add wine and chicken broth, cover, and simmer 7 minutes. Turn chicken, and simmer until meat pulls easily from bone, about 7 minutes more.
• Transfer chicken from skillet to plate. Add remaining garlic, shallots and herbs, olives, escarole and lemon juice to skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, increase heat to medium-high, and cover. Steam escarole until it wilts, about 5 minutes.
• Return chicken to skillet on top of escarole. Add butter, increase heat to high, and simmer until butter melts and sauce has emulsified slightly. (If sauce appears thin, transfer escarole and chicken to warm platter, then boil sauce until it has reached a pleasing consistency.) Taste to correct seasoning. Serve immediately.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Place chicken pieces in skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Saute until chicken is nicely crisped and browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate, and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; to the same skillet, add onion, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Saute, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, the water, and wine; bring to a boil, and deglaze pan by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Return chicken to skillet, and add thyme. Bring liquid back to a boil; cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise 45 minutes.
• Remove skillet from oven, and stir in raisins, olives, and chickpeas. Return to oven; continue braising, uncovered, 20 minutes more. Remove from oven, and discard thyme. Serve hot.

BRAISED ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Cut away and discard the white core of the escarole. Cut away and discard any tough stems. Cut the leaves crosswise in half. Drop the leaves in boiling water seasoned with a little salt. Let simmer 5 minutes. Drain well and press to extract moisture. Coarsely chop the greens.
• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the garlic. Cook briefly and add the escarole, salt and pepper. Add the pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, about 4 minutes.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper and place in an earthenware baking dish in one layer, skin side up. Sprinkle with red pepper, garlic, fennel and rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Rub seasoning into thighs on all sides. Tuck lemon wedges here and there. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Put baking dish in oven, uncovered, and roast until skin browns lightly, about 20 minutes. Scatter olives evenly over chicken and add broth. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour, until meat is very tender when probed with a skewer.
• Remove thighs and lemon wedges and arrange on a platter. Keep warm. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and quickly skim fat from surface. Over high heat, simmer rapidly until reduced by half. Spoon juices over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.