Braising chicken and greens together in a skillet does wonderful things to both bird and vegetables. As the chicken cooks, the skin browns, crisps, and renders savory fat, which suffuses the greens with flavor. The greens, in turn, make a soft, moist bed on which to cook the chicken, keeping the meat supremely tender.
In the end, the silky greens make a rich, mineral contrast to the juicy meat, while lemon juice and olives add brightness and acidity to the mix, giving it a pleasant jolt. Serve this with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or a bed of couscous to catch all the juices.
Using homemade chicken stock will add oodles of flavor, plus some preserved lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped rind) adds an additional depth of flavor.
Skillet-Braised Chicken With Greens and Olives
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ to 2½ lbs. bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
- Fine sea salt or table salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. hot smoked paprika, plus more for serving (or use red-pepper flakes)
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
- 1 cup sliced shallots, about 2 to 3 (or use red onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 pound sturdy greens, such as escarole, Swiss chard or kale, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro or parsley
- 1ÂĽ cups chicken stock, preferably homemade, plus more as needed
- ½ cup pitted coarsely chopped Castelvetrano olives
- 1 lemon, halved
- Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Directions
- In a small bowl, blend 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and the paprika. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and then sprinkle all over with the seasoning mix.
- Preheat oven to 400F (375F convection).
- In a large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed skillet heat the oil over medium-high. Add chicken to the skillet and let sear until it browns lightly on both sides, removing it to a plate when finished browning.
- Add shallots and a pinch of salt, and cook until pale golden brown all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add chopped greens, cilantro, and another ÂĽ teaspoon salt to the pan, and stir, tossing to coat in the residual chicken fat. It may seem like a lot of greens, but they will cook down. Cook until they have just started to wilt, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet with the greens. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to come halfway up the chicken. Bring liquid to a gentle simmer. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 25 to 35 minutes. Add more stock as needed to keep the greens tender and moist.
- Remove the skillet from the oven. Stir in olives and cook uncovered over medium heat until they are warmed through, about 1 minute more. Squeeze one lemon half over everything, then taste greens, and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Serve topped with flaky salt, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and more smoked paprika.
Adapted from a recipe by Melissa Clark for NYTimes Cooking
Accounting for Taste 