Chicken with Fennel & Olives
Submitted by alrd
Pan-seared chicken thighs with toasted fennel seeds, briny olives, cherry tomatoes, and a white wine pan sauce spiked with anchovy paste. A rustic Mediterranean one-pan dinner bursting with bold, layered flavors.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThis is the kind of dish you would find in a sunlit trattoria on the Italian coast, where the olives are plump, the wine flows freely, and nobody is in a rush.
Lemon-kissed chicken thighs get a golden sear, then rest on a warm platter while the real magic happens in the pan. Toasted fennel seeds bloom with shallots and garlic, a splash of white wine lifts every caramelized bit from the bottom, and a whisper of anchovy paste adds depth you can not quite place but absolutely can not live without.
Cherry tomatoes and a mix of green and black olives bring pops of color and brininess that tie the whole plate together.
Pro Tips
- Trust the anchovy paste: It does not make the dish fishy. It melts into the sauce and adds a savory backbone that elevates everything around it.
- Reduce the wine properly: Let it cook down by half before adding the broth. This concentrates the flavor instead of leaving the sauce thin and boozy.
- Use bone-in thighs for extra flavor: Boneless works here, but bone-in thighs give you richer drippings for the pan sauce.
Variations
- Swap kalamata olives for the black olives for an even more robust, briny punch.
- Add a handful of capers with the olives for extra Mediterranean flair.
- Try it with skin-on thighs and start them skin-side down for an irresistibly crispy crust.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium bowl, place lemon juice and white pepper.
Add chicken, turning to coat.
In a sauté pan, place oil and heat.
Add chicken and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium, turn chicken, and cook for about 10 minutes or until chicken is brown and fork tender.
Remove chicken to a warm platter.
Cover and keep warm.
To the same sauté pan, add the olives and tomatoes; heat for about 2 minutes or until warm.
Place olive mixture around the chicken.
To the same pan, add fennel seeds and cook, stirring, 2 minutes or until brown, adding extra oil if necessary.
Add shallots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for 2 minutes.
Add wine, scraping bits from the pan.
Adjust heat to high and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
Add broth, parsley, red pepper flakes, and anchovy paste.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Spoon sauce over chicken.
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