Caramelized Lemon Chicken with Briny Olives & Rice

Here is an insanely delicious dish and it’s all in one pot. No big mess of pots and pans to clean, just one pot and that makes it perfect for a weeknight meal. However, this is still impressive enough and yummy enough for company. That being said, don’t be deterred by the picture. I’m not thrilled with it, and it definitely does look better in person and hopefully I will have a better one soon.

I found this on NYT Cooking website, made it once, then with minor adjustments, it quickly became an absolute favorite. There is a whole lot to love about this recipe, it’s relatively quick, it’s all in one pot and the flavors are amazing. When first reading the recipe, although it certainly looked good enough to try, I never thought it would taste as good as it does. The chicken is delicious, but the rice is insanely delicious! The leftovers are equally good, that is if you have any left. This is now one of my new go-to, quick dishes that makes everyone happy, satisfied and looking for more.

INGREDIENTS
4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
crushed red pepper, to taste
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, roughly chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced or grated
2 cups long-grain white rice (I use jasmine)
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400º.
Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon each of salt, fresh ground pepper, dried oregano and a pinch of crushed red pepper.

Next, place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Let the oil heat for a couple of minutes, then add the thighs, skin side down. Leave the chicken to sear and self-release from the pot, about 5 minutes. Then remove from the pot and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut 1 lemon into 1/4″ slices, add them to the pot and cook until caramelized and softened. This should take just a few minutes and make sure to stay close at this point because they can burn rather quickly. Sadly, I know from first hand experience. Remove and set aside.

Add the olives, garlic, shallot and 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper and dried oregano to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 2-3 minutes. If there isn’t much liquid, try adding a small amount of water to loosen the bits, but make sure to let the water evaporate before proceeding. Turn the heat up to high, add the rice, stir to combine for just a minute. Then add the broth to the pot, stir to combine and cover until it comes to a boil, 4-5 minutes.

Next, remove the pot from the heat, add the browned chicken on top of the rice, skin side up and place the lemon slices on each of the thighs. Cover the pot and bake until both the rice and chicken are fully cooked, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve topped with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice, a nice simple salad and some crusty bread.