Spanish Chicken Legs And Thighs With Olives And Capers Food

CHICKEN MARBELLA

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, apricots (if using), olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, brown sugar and white wine.
• Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Arrange chicken in a single layer in a large, shallow baking pan and spoon marinade over it evenly.
• Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.
• With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.
• Note: To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS AND THIGHS WITH TOMATOES, POTATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Let the chicken come to room temperature, then pat the pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow, flat container and dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
• In a large heavy-bottomed skillet or a Dutch oven designed for braising, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, let it melt and heat until it begins to turn brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and set aside.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet and return the skillet to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, and cook until the wine has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes and raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. The add the potatoes, olives, capers, and thyme, and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low so the liquid is simmering, and return the chicken to the pan. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, 25 to 35 minutes.
• To serve, place one chicken leg and one thigh in each of four shallow bowls. Spoon the sauce on top, getting some of the tomatoes, potatoes, olives and capers in each portion. Serve immediately.
• Place the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, parsley and thyme in an 8-quart stockpot. Add enough water to come up to 2 inches from the top of the pot. Place the pot over high heat and bring the liquid to a lively simmer--do not let the liquid boil. As soon as the liquid starts to simmer, reduce the heat so that you maintain a lively simmer throughout. (This could be anywhere from low to medium heat depending on the strength of your range.) Skim off any gray scum that floats to the top of the stock. Cook the stock, uncovered, for about 2 1/2 hours -- it should reduce in volume by one-quarter to one-third. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or clean stockpot, pressing on the solids in the strainer to extract all the liquid. If you like, season with salt to taste--I prefer to keep my stock salt-free.
• Use right away or transfer to air tight containers and refrigerate or freeze. The stock will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
• Add garlic to pan and sauté 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients; scrape pan to loosen brown bits.
• Return chicken and accumulated juices to pan. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Put the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the chicken, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed, adjusting the heat so the chicken doesn't burn, until the pieces are browned on the bottom and release easily from the skillet, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue cooking, turning the chicken every few minutes, until it's brown all over, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
• Add the onions and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes; cook until the mixture starts to bubble and the tomatoes thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and let the mixture bubble for another 2 minutes.
• Add the olives and thyme, and return the chicken to the skillet, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles gently but steadily, then cover the skillet. Cook, turning the chicken every 10 minutes or so and adding a splash of stock or water if the sauce looks too dry, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 155 to 165). Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the parsley, and serve.

CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH PEPPERS, CAPERS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Start the chicken: Pat chicken dry and place in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss the thighs to coat, using hands to smear the mixture evenly over the chicken. Let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, or, if time permits, overnight in the refrigerator.
• Make the peppers: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When oil begins to look wavy, add onions and stir to coat. When the onions begin to soften (don't let them brown), add peppers and stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and add garlic and red-pepper flakes. Stir to incorporate and reduce heat to medium. Cover, leaving the lid ajar.
• Cook mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until completely soft. Add olives, vinegar and capers, and cook for a few minutes more, just to meld the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with oregano. Set aside. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Cook the chicken: Place a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is wavy, add chicken thighs, skin-side down. Shake the pan to make sure the chicken isn't sticking.
• Lower the heat to medium. Place a piece of parchment or aluminum foil on top of chicken and set another skillet on top. Add some weight - a brick or canned goods, for example - to the top skillet. Set heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure chicken isn't sticking, until the skin side is beautifully browned.
• Turn thighs over and cook for 10 minutes more, until thighs are cooked through. (To test, pierce the chicken with a paring knife. The juices should run clear.) If you wish, turn the thighs skin-side down again and let crisp for a few more minutes.
• Serve 1 thigh and a large spoonful of stewed peppers to each guest. Leftover peppers, if any remain, will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

GREEK-STYLE ROASTED CHICKEN LEGS, POTATOES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Set oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grease a large roasting pan (large enough to hold the chicken).
• Rub the chopped garlic into the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken into the pan along with the potatoes, onions and capers.
• Pour the broth over.
• In a small bowl whisk together oil, lemon juice, oregano and rosemary.
• Pour evenly over the chicken and potatoes.
• Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (could take more or less time depending on the size of chicken pieces) basting occasionally with juices.
• *NOTE* if you find that either one is cooked before the other (either the chicken or potatoes) then remove to a dish and continue to cook.

SPANISH CHICKEN LEGS AND THIGHS WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• In a large plastic bag combine flour, seasoning salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and black pepper (if using); shake bag to combine spices.
• Add in chicken pieces one at a time, shaking to coat with flour mixture.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil and brown chicken on all sides for about 5-6 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned, adding in more oil if needed.
• Add in the tomatoes with juice, potatoes, onion, garlic, wine, capers (if using) and herbs; bring to boiling, reduce heat and cover with a lid.
• Simmer for about 40 minutes, or until chicken is done and no longer pink.
• Remove the chicken and transfer to a large serving dish, cover with foil to keep warm or place in a 200 degree oven.
• In a small bowl or cup combine the water with cornstarch; add/stir into tomato mixture in the Dutch oven, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring with a spoon.
• Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken in a large serving dish/bowl.
• Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese if desired and serve.