By Melissa Clark
Recipe naming conventions come and go. For the baroque excess of every Beany Leeky Greens with Greeky Rampy Beans, there’s a minimalist roast chicken or tomato salad to remind us that less is often very much enough.
Even techniques have aliases. One cook’s chicken fricassee is another’s braise, and yet another’s chicken stew. But all refer to the same bird browned in a pan and simmered in liquid with vegetables, until the meat is supple and soft, the vegetables succulent and the liquid fragrant.
I call my latest recipe Skillet-Braised Chicken with Greens and Olives because it’s direct, and to me the name evokes the poetry of the technique itself. The word “braise” always conjures a bubbling pot on a crisp evening, with a brawny, oniony cloud cloistering the kitchen from the chill nip outside. Actual cold weather may be weeks in the future, but my appetite is ready.
The rule of almost every chicken braise is to sear the meat first. This allows the skin to crisp and the fat to render, leaving behind those all-important brown bits at the bottom of the pan that provide the foundation of the sauce.
Liquid is added next, and that should be flavorful, too. The great James Beard suggested spiking plain water with a veal knuckle or pig’s foot, but he conceded that a good stock also works. I opt for stock because it’s easy and gives the right flavor to the greens, which get exquisitely silky after simmering for the half-hour or so it takes the chicken to cook.
Bone-in thighs and legs work best here because they’re forgiving: Cook them a little less, and the meat is taut and pleasingly springy; cook them longer, and it falls off the bone. You can use bone-in breasts instead, but watch carefully and take them off the heat as soon as they’re done. Their window of perfection is narrower, and you don’t want to overcook them.
Then to finish the dish, I top the rich chicken and soft greens with olives and lemon for contrasting brightness and tang.
I suppose you could call this a one-pan meal or skillet dish, since it’s cooked in a skillet. Name it whatever you like — everybody wins when dinner is served.
Skillet-braised chicken with greens and olives
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 needed jolt. Serve this with crusty bread or mashed potatoes to catch all the juices.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
Fine sea salt or table salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika, plus more for serving (or use red-pepper flakes)
3 tablespoons 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 to 2 bunches sturdy greens, such as escarole, Swiss chard or kale, coarsely chopped (1 pound; about 10 to 12 cups)
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro or parsley
1 1/4 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
1/2 cup pitted coarsely chopped Castelvetrano olives
1 lemon, halved
Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. Season chicken all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper and the paprika.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallots and a pinch of salt, and cook until pale golden brown all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add chicken to the skillet and let sear until it browns lightly on both sides and the onions turn a shade or two darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving the shallots in the pan.
4. Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add chopped greens, cilantro and another 1/4 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.
5. 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. Partly cover and allow the chicken to finish cooking through, 25 to 35 minutes. Add more stock as needed to keep the greens tender and moist.
6. Stir in olives and cook uncovered 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.
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