Braised Chicken with Olives and Orange

Orange zest and juice add a subtle bright flavor to this simple braised chicken dish. Serve with softly cooked polenta, your favorite variety of steamed rice or just a good loaf of bread to soak up the flavorful braising liquid.

 

Braised Chicken with Olives and Orange

 

1 chicken, about 3 1/2 lb. (1.75 kg), cut into 10 serving pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 1/2 tsp. paprika

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/2 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 shallots, quartered

3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) red wine

1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) chicken broth

1 can (14 oz./440 g) diced tomatoes

3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) olives, such as Kalamata, pitted

Zest and juice of 1 orange, zest peeled into strips using a vegetable peeler

2 tsp. fennel seeds

1 cup (8 oz./250 g) roasted red bell pepper slices

 

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

 

Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the chicken all over with the paprika.

 

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate and carefully pour the fat from the pot.

 

Add the butter to the pot. When it has melted, add the onion and sauté until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and shallots and continue to cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine and cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, until the wine reduces slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, diced tomatoes with juices, olives, orange zest, fennel seeds and roasted red peppers. Return the chicken to the pot.

 

Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the
chicken is cooked, transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and place the pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the orange juice and cook until the braising liquid is thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and return the chicken to the pot. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

 

Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen