Nicoise Chicken Stew With Tomatoes And Black Olives Food

CHICKEN NIçOISE

Steps:

• Remove any visible fat from chicken. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the wine to boiling. Add chicken; cook, turning once, until brown. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.
• In same skillet, heat bell peppers, olives, garlic, onions, Italian seasoning, and remaining 1 cup wine to boiling. Boil 5 minutes.
• Add chicken; reduce heat to medium. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest piece is cut (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs). Serve over rice.

BOEUF à LA NIçOISE: BRAISED BEEF STEW WITH RED WINE, TOMATO, OLIVES, AND BUTTERED NOODLES

Steps:

• Toss the beef in a large bowl with the cracked black pepper, 1 tablespoon thyme, the garlic, and the orange zest. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Take the meat out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking. After 15 minutes, season it on all sides with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt. Reserve the garlic and orange zest.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat for 3 minutes. Pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place the meat in the pan, being careful not to crowd it. (You will need to do this in batches.) Sear the meat until well browned on all sides. (This step is very important and should not be rushed; it will probably take 15 to 20 minutes.) As the batches of meat are browned, remove them to a baking sheet.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, fennel, and carrot. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the crusty bits left in the pan. Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and the reserved garlic and orange zest. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables are caramelized.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly to coat the vegetables. Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce to a glaze. Pour in the red wine and reduce it by half (about 5 minutes). Add the beef stock and bring to a boil.
• Add the meat to the pot. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Braise in the oven about 3 hours.
• While the meat is in the oven, cut the whole tomatoes in half lengthwise. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a baking dish in which the tomatoes will fit snugly. Place the tomatoes in the dish, cut side up, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Roast the tomatoes in the same oven for 1 1/2 hours, until they are shriveled and slightly caramelized on top.
• To check the meat for doneness, carefully remove the lid and foil, being aware of the hot steam. Spoon a piece of meat out of the pan and press it with your thumb or a spoon. If it's done, it will yield easily and almost fall apart. If it's not super-tender, cover again and return the pot to the oven. When in doubt, taste it!
• Take the pan out of the oven and uncover completely. Using a ladle, skim off the fat that rises to the top.
• Turn the oven up to 400°F.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
• Ladle half the braising juices into a large sauté pan and add the olives. Return the meat to the oven for 15 minutes to caramelize.
• When the water boils, cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Transfer the noodles to the pan with the braising juices and olives. Over medium-low heat, toss the noodles in the juices to coat well and bring to a low simmer. Stir in the butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Quickly add the spinach and a cup chopped parsley, and toss for just 1 minute, until the spinach begins to wilt.
• Transfer the pasta to a large warm platter. Spoon the meat and its juices over the noodles. Tuck the roasted tomatoes in and around the noodles and meat. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped parsley over the top.

GRILLED CHICKEN NICOISE

Steps:

• Drain tomatoes and pat them dry. (If using dry-packed, pour boiling water over them to re-hydrate. Let soften for 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Mince the garlic in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the remainder of the marinade ingredients. Process until pureed to the consistency of a thick paste. Reserve 2 Tbsp of the marinade for the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Place each chicken breast half between 2 pieces of wax paper. Use a mallet to pound them to 1/2-inch thickness.
• Place the chicken breasts in a large shallow glass dish. Pat/spread the marinade over the chicken. Turn chicken coat both sides evenly. Cover and refrigerate the chicken for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of eight.
• To make the sauce, combine the reserved marinade, lemon juice, sour cream, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.
• Grill the chicken on medium-high heat. Grill about 3 inches from the heat for about 7 minutes on each side, or until opaque throughout.
• To serve, place the sauce in a small saucepan and over low heat gently heat to simmering. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Drizzle warm sauce over the chicken, and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

POULET NICOISE (CHICKEN WITH OLIVES)

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. In 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add chicken, brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Transfer to plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add onion; cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes more. Add squash; wine, 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 teaspoons tarragon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Return chicken to pan; add tomatoes, olives and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until chicken in cooked through, 25-30 minutes.
• Stir in 1 tablespoons parsley and 1 teaspoons tarragon. Serve immediately.

STEWED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH TOMATOES AND BLACK OLIVES

Steps:

• Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and saute until it begins to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place chicken thighs in the hot skillet with the nicer, more intact sides facing down. Sear for 2 minutes. Flip and sear the split sides for 2 minutes.
• Add stewed tomatoes, olives, wine, and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low (4 on a scale of 10), cover, and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes.