Have You Ever Roasted Olives? ~ Roasted Chicken Legs with Olives

Have you ever had roasted olives? Or roasted olives with your chicken legs? Until now I hadn't. In fact I'm embarrassed to say that as a lifetime member of the "I Love Olives" team I've never even considered roasting my olives.

Well, that is until I met Amy McCoy author of the "Poor Girl Gourmet" cookbook!

After making this dish I've surmised that I clearly need to be eating more Italian-inspired dishes because this one, as Amy tells it, was inspired by an Italian dish right out of, you guessed it, a trip she took to Italy. I think it's time to start planning a trip, don't you?

I'm a sucker for rustic foods, so I knew I had to try this recipe. It's very easy to put together - perfect on a busy weeknight. But truthfully, it's sophisticated enough to serve to guests over the weekend, too. Just serve it up alongside some roasted or grilled veggies and you'll be good to go. Roasted olives are ridiculously good. The roasting deepens their flavors. You are left with a pleasantly mild salty flavor that is cradled in the buttery, golden juices of the chicken fat. Enjoy!

You may also like this recipe from the "Poor Girl Gourmet" Cookbook:
Living La Vida Loca - Honey & Fig Glazed Chicken Thighs

For a printer-friendly, text-only version of the recipe below, click here

Roasted Chicken Legs with Olives
Amy McCoy - Poor Girl Gourmet

What You'll Need:

4 chicken Leg Quarters, approx. 3/4 pound each
*I used four legs and one thigh, because that's what I had on had. It worked perfectly.

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 pound good quality olives

*I used pitted Kalamata olives from a local deli, but any good quality olive, pitted or not, will do. In fact, I almost always have whole green olives with pits in my fridge, which I'll be giving a try on the next go 'round. If you serve olives with pits to guests be sure to alert them .

What You'll Do:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)
2. In a large baking dish arrange the chicken legs in a single layer, skin side up. Using a basting brush or your hands, lightly coat the skin with the olive oil. Sprinkle the legs with the thyme, and season them with salt and pepper.
3. Scatter the olives around the chicken so that the olives rest in their own space in the baking dish. This will allow them to be marinated with the chicken fat as they cook.
4. Roast the chicken until the skin is crispy and juices run clear when the legs are pierced, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Serve each leg, or thigh, with about one-quarter of the olives per person.

Comments

[Brian Knowles]

This is one of my favorite recipes from the book too! So easy but so good! I often throw cut up otatoes in the pan to make it an easy one dish meal served with salad.

[Mac]

Hi Brian,
So nice to have you stop by. Welcome!
Tossing in some cut up Potatoes is a great idea. I'll have to remember that the next time I make this dish. Great tip. Thanks for sharing.