Braised Chicken with Olives and Orange

In this simple but satisfying dinner, a whole chicken is seared in an ovenproof skillet before being transferred to the oven, which makes it a great choice for a busy One Pot Wednesday.  You can trade out the cut-up whole chicken for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts here. Plan on one or two pieces for each diner, depending on the appetites of your tablemates and the size of the pieces. Serve with crusty bread or oven-roasted potatoes.

Braised Chicken with Olives and Orange

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (about 3 1/2 lb./1.75 kg), cut into 10 pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) red wine
• 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) chicken broth
• 1 can (15 oz./470 g) diced tomatoes with juices
• 3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) black olives, such as Kalamata, pitted
• Zest and juice of 1 orange (zest removed in strips with a vegetable peeler)
• 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) roasted yellow bell pepper slices

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

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

3. In a large ovenproof fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working in batches, add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Pour off the fat from the skillet.

4. In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add the fennel seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes with their juices, olives, orange zest and juice, and bell peppers. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Make sure the top of the skin isn’t covered with liquid during roasting.

5. Transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the skillet and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Find  more than 20 easy-to-cook recipes that help you make the most
of your skillet in our cookbook The Skillet Supper Cookbook.