Crispy Chicken Thighs With Peppers Capers And Olives Recipes

SPICY ITALIAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Use a small knife to prick 5 or so gashes into the skin of the chicken. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
• Place chicken skin side down in a cold large non stick skillet, then turn stove onto medium high. As it heats up, the fat under the skin will start to melt through the holes in the skin.
• Cook for 4 - 5 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Turn the chicken and cook the other side for 3 minutes.
• Remove chicken onto a plate, discard fat (don't scrape the pan) then return to the stove.
• Add oil, garlic and onion. Cook for 1 minute, then add capsicum. Cook for 2 minutes then add wine. Bring to a simmer and stir, scraping the pan to get those golden bits mixed in.
• Once most of the wine is evaporated and it doesn't smell winey anymore, add the tomato, water and pepper flakes. Stir, bring to a simmer, adjust heat so it's bubbling energetically but not rapidly (and not slowly).
• After 5 minutes (or so), stir through olives and capers. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper.
• Then place chicken into the sauce, being careful not to submerge the skin. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle over parsley. Serve with crusty bread, or use half the sauce to toss through / pour over pasta and the other half to serve with chicken (see photos in post).

CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH PEPPERS, CAPERS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Start the chicken: Pat chicken dry and place in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss the thighs to coat, using hands to smear the mixture evenly over the chicken. Let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, or, if time permits, overnight in the refrigerator.
• Make the peppers: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When oil begins to look wavy, add onions and stir to coat. When the onions begin to soften (don't let them brown), add peppers and stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and add garlic and red-pepper flakes. Stir to incorporate and reduce heat to medium. Cover, leaving the lid ajar.
• Cook mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until completely soft. Add olives, vinegar and capers, and cook for a few minutes more, just to meld the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with oregano. Set aside. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Cook the chicken: Place a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is wavy, add chicken thighs, skin-side down. Shake the pan to make sure the chicken isn't sticking.
• Lower the heat to medium. Place a piece of parchment or aluminum foil on top of chicken and set another skillet on top. Add some weight - a brick or canned goods, for example - to the top skillet. Set heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure chicken isn't sticking, until the skin side is beautifully browned.
• Turn thighs over and cook for 10 minutes more, until thighs are cooked through. (To test, pierce the chicken with a paring knife. The juices should run clear.) If you wish, turn the thighs skin-side down again and let crisp for a few more minutes.
• Serve 1 thigh and a large spoonful of stewed peppers to each guest. Leftover peppers, if any remain, will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

CHICKEN WITH BELL PEPPERS, ONIONS AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add chicken to Dutch oven and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Spoon off 2 tablespoons fat from Dutch oven and discard. Add peppers and onions to Dutch oven: sauté until onions are tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with their juices, broth, oregano, bay leaves, cayenne and bacon; bring to boil.
• Return chicken to Dutch oven. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add capers. Transfer chicken to bowl. Boil sauce until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH SILKY PEPPERS AND GREEN OLIVES

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside at room temperature while preparing the vegetables (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours).
• Slice the peppers into 1/4-inch strips, removing the seeds. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Chop the tomato.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. When the oil thins out and coats the bottom of the pan, add chicken, skin side down, and sear until browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Do this in batches if necessary; don't crowd the pan. Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate as they brown.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and stir in peppers. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, remaining oregano and red-pepper flakes, and cook until garlic is lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until tomatoes begin to release their juices, 3 minutes.
• Lower heat to a simmer and nestle in the browned chicken, skin side up, pouring in any accumulated juices from the plate. Partly cover the pan and cook until chicken is cooked through and peppers are soft and stewy, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. In the last minute or two of cooking, stir in olives to let them heat up. Remove from heat, and sprinkle parsley or other herbs on top. Garnish with lemon wedges, if you like.

CRISPY CHICKEN STEW WITH LEMON, ARTICHOKES, CAPERS, AND OLIVES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the sea salt, and the dried oregano. Add the chicken thighs and rub the seasoning into the chicken until evenly coated; set aside. You can also cover and refrigerate the chicken thighs and marinate for 2 to 24 hours.
• When you're ready to cook the chicken, heat the ghee or oil in a cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-heat.
• Remove the marinated chicken thighs from the bowl and, using paper towels, pat the chicken thighs dry. Place the chicken thighs, skin side-down, in the hot ghee or oil, spacing them evenly, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the skin begins to brown. Turn the chicken thighs and brown on the opposite side for 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• In the same skillet over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, capers, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon slices.
• Add the white wine and deglaze the skillet, stirring to loosen any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth, return the thighs to the skillet, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the artichoke hearts and olives and continue simmering for 10 minutes.
• Remove the chicken thighs from the skillet, pull the meat from the bones, and roughly chop. Add the chicken meat back into the skillet and stir to distribute evenly. To serve, scoop the stew into serving bowls and garnish with the chopped fresh oregano.
• Do Ahead:
• The stew or any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 6 months.