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Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! Tart lemons and briny olives add bright tangy flavors to a Mediterranean chicken skillet.

Cast-Iron skillet

I love using a cast-iron skillet. Anything that needs a good, hard sear is the perfect food for this workhorse. If I am cooking meat, I often use a cast-iron skillet to get an evenly browned surface as well as some great fond on the bottom of the pan. Also, there is no problem going from stovetop to oven.

So there was no question what pan I would use when I was developing this Mediterranean chicken skillet recipe. However, if you do not have a cast-iron skillet, you can use what you have on hand. Just make sure to get a good sear on the chicken.

Blue oceans and sunshine

Whenever I see any food described as Mediterranean, I think of bright blue ocean water and sunny skies. Looking for an antidote to gray winter days, citrus is the answer. When the days are a little gloomy, lemons can be a ray of sunshine and bring a tangy profile to food. The briny green olives, browned shallots, and marinated artichokes hearts are lovely partners with the citrus. Add some thyme and rosemary, close your eyes, and dream of a Mediterranean coastline.

Mediterranean chicken skillet recipe

The beauty of this recipe is the lack of a recipe. Really once you pan roast the pieces of chicken, the hard work is over. Brown the shallots and the lemon slices. Add the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan and add the finishing touches - herbs, olives and artichoke hearts.

And did I tell you that the pan sauce is amazing! Add some browned potatoes or rice to soak up all the sauce and top with the chicken, lemons, and veggies. Right now I am watching the snow coming down and accumulating into huge piles. But no matter, I have a Mediterranean chicken skillet which makes me feel like I am soaking up the rays of the sun and enjoying the view of the blue ocean.

Recipe

Mediterranean Chicken Skillet

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Compliments many cuisines, Mediterranean

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Servings: people

Calories: 650kcal

A meal of skillet roasted chicken with the Mediterranean flavors of lemon, green olives, shallot, and garlic.

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Equipment

heavy skillet, preferably cast iron

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut-up skin on, bone-in, cut-up, 2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup shallots about 4 shallots sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
2 lemons zest of one lemon, both lemons thinly sliced
6 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary minced
½ cup green olives
7 marinated artichoke hearts quartered
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Liberally salt and pepper the chicken pieces
Place skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet starts to get hot, add the olive oil.
Once the oil is very hot, add the chicken skin-side down. Occasionally check the chicken to see how brown it is getting. Once it looks nicely browned, turn over and cook the other side. You will probably have to brown the chicken in batches. Take out pieces and set them aside on a plate while you brown the remainder of the chicken. It will take 20 - 25 minutes to brown all the chicken, depending on how big the pieces are.
Once all the chicken is browned, add all the pieces back to the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven to finish cooking the chicken, approximately 6-8 minutes. Again this depends on the size of the pieces. You may remove the legs and thighs while the breasts bake a little longer in the oven. A thermometer in the chicken should read 165 degrees after taking it out of the oven.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate. Put the skillet back on the stove over medium heat.
Make sure there is enough fat in the skillet (1-2 tablespoons). If not add more olive oil so that you have at least 2 tablespoons. Add the sliced shallots and saute until they start to turn brown. Add the garlic and saute for about 2 minutes and then remove everything from the skillet. Add some of the lemon slices, laying them flat. After about 1 ½ -2 minutes, check the lemons to see if they are browning. Once the lemons have a nice color, turn them over to brown the other side. You will probably have to cook the lemons in batches.
Deglaze the skillet by adding the wine, stirring to release any bits on the bottom. Add the shallot/garlic mix back to the skillet along with the chicken and the lemon zest. Check the seasoning of the sauce, adding salt and pepper if needed. Let the chicken cook in the sauce for another 5 minutes.
Once the chicken is hot, add the olives and the artichoke hearts. Stir to combine.