Chicken Breasts with Green Olives
Introduction
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter, softened, for herb butter
A few parsley and thyme sprigs, tarragon if you have it, or a few pinches dried tarragon
1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed
4 boned chicken breasts with skin on (1.2-1.4 kg / 2½-3 lb total)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter for frying
½ cup large green Sicilian olives
½ cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
Method
1 Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
Mix flour, paprika and half a teaspoon of salt together on paper towels. Blend softened butter, herbs, garlic and ½ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Trim visible fat from chicken breasts. Carefully squish the herb butter under the skin, smoothing it out with the fingers.
2 Dust chicken breasts with seasoned flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof dish or a frying pan (skillet) that can go in the oven, over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to pan, let it sizzle, then add chicken breasts skin side down.
3 Cook until a deep golden brown. Turn breasts over, add olives and wine and bubble up for 3-4 minutes to reduce. Transfer, uncovered, to preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes, or until chicken breasts are just cooked through. Swirl sherry vinegar into juices, then let the chicken breasts rest for 15 minutes, spooning juices over them from time to time. Slice thinly, arrange on plates and pour over juices from the cooking dish. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
These chicken breasts are equally good cold, or rather, at room temperature (they will be juicier and have more flavour if allowed to rest at room temperature to lose the fridge chill).
