Mediterranean Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Lemon, and Olives

Mediterranean Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Lemon, and Olives

The highlights of this amazing dish are the garlic-infused broth, crispy chicken, and quality pitted olives. It's a great dish for both a weeknight family treat or an elegant weekend dinner party. It is also fantastic the next day, if it can last that long. Serve over couscous to soak-up the wonderful sauce and maybe string beans or broccoli to contrast the smooth sauce.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Brunch, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Morocco, North Africa

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Infusing broth with garlic: 40

Total Time: 1 40

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Large heavy skillet
Covered Dutch oven or casserole
Covered Saucepan

Ingredients

2½ cups Chicken stock
20 cloves Garlic, peeled
2 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive oil
8 Chicken thighs, bone-in with skin
1 Lemon; seeded, peel and pith removed, sliced thin
2 tbsp All-purpose flour
⅔ cup Dry white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
1½ cups Pitted Kalamata olives
2 tbsp Parsley or basil leaves, chopped

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Instructions

Bring saucepan with chicken stock to a boil. Add garlic cloves, cover, and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Strain the stock and reserve the the stock and garlic separately.
Heat butter and oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until golden brown then flip About 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer them to an ovenproof dish with cover.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°F). Distribute the garlic cloves and lemon slices among the chicken pieces.
Add wine to pan used to sear chicken and cook it way down, scraping to deglaze the pan. Add flour to juices in pan. Over same medium-high heat, stir to make a light brown roux, about 1 minute. Add the stock and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened and is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Pout sauce over chicken. Scatter olives all around. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. If sauce seems to thin, remove chicken pieces and boil sauce on the stove top until it reaches the desired consistency. Sprinkle parsley or basil on top. Serve over couscous or white rice to soak up the sauce. Any green vegetable goes well with this dish.

Notes

Bags or jars of pre-peeled garlic cloves can be found in most markets.
Be sure to remove the white pith from the lemons as they can be quite bitter.
5-minute couscous is perfect with this dish. Its available at retail and online markets everywhere.

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