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Easy Recipes: Kathy Gunst's Sautéed Chicken With Lemon, Capers And Olives
Wondering what to make for dinner tonight? Here's one idea from Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst -- her quick-and-easy take on sautéed chicken. All you need is 10 ingredients, including kitchen mainstays like butter, salt, olive oil and ground black pepper. In case you missed it, here's last week's easy recipe, roasted salmon with miso and ginger. You can also find more of Kathy's recipes and segments from the show here.
This recipe is rich with Mediterranean flavors. Chicken thighs are sautéed and then topped with pitted olives, capers and paper-thin slices of lemon and a splash of white wine.
The dish is finished off in the oven, making it an ideal make-ahead dinner. Chicken thighs tend to be juicier than breasts, but you can easily do this with white or dark meat — or a combination of both. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- About 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup flour seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
- About 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lemon, cut into paper-thin slices with the seeds removed
- 1 cup pitted black and green olives, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup capers, drained
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
Instructions
1. Place the chicken on a cookie sheet with sides or in bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt and pepper. Let sit 10 minutes or up to 24 hours, covered and refrigerated.
2. Remove chicken from refrigerator. Working on a cutting board, press down on the chicken thighs, one at a time, to cut the meat in half lengthwise. You want to create two thinner filets. Repeat.
3. Place the seasoned flour on a plate. Dredge the chicken in the flour until coated on both sides, shake off any excess flour.
4. Heat a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter and heat until the butter begins to sizzle. Sauté the chicken pieces, working with only a few at a time to make sure they don’t crowd the pan. Sauté for 2 minutes and gently flip over. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté another two minutes on the other side or until golden brown; the meat will not be cooked through. Transfer the sautéed chicken to a large gratin dish or baking dish or ovenproof skillet. Repeat with the remaining chicken adding more oil or butter if needed.
5. With the pan off the stove, wipe excess oil from the skillet with a paper towel.
6. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the skillet over moderate heat. Add the lemon slices, olives, capers and parsley and cook, stirring, for one minute. Raise the heat to high and add the wine; let cook and boil off for 2 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and once it has melted, pour the sauce over the chicken, distributing the olives, capers and lemons evenly. The dish can be made ahead of time; cover and refrigerator for several hours.
7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place on the middle shelf and bake the chicken for 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling hot and the chicken is cooked through.