Friday 5 August 2011

Friday Feast - Chicken Baked with Shallots, Olives and Thyme

In my large file of recipes, this one begins 'Sundays don't have to be about being stuck in the kitchen all day. This delicious family chicken bake is ready in just 40 minutes, leaving plenty of time to chill out.....' That was enough incentive for me to try it out and it's now a favourite :)

Chicken Baked with Shallots, Olives and Thyme

Serves 4.
(Prep time 10 minutes. Cooking time 30 minutes)

4 skinless chicken breast fillets
12 shallots, peeled
4 garlic cloves, peeled
16 good-quality pitted green olives
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp sherry vinegar

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C/Gas 5.

Arrange the chicken breasts in a shallow roasting tin or baking dish. Tuck the shallots, garlic cloves and olives in around the chicken and place the thyme sprigs on top

Drizzle over the oil and season with salt and pepper

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and drizzle over the sherry vinegar

Cook for a further 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through

Serve with veg. or a green salad


As is often the case, I just use two chicken breasts for the two of us with the full amount of other ingredients - and then multiply up when there are more of us.

I did once buy Queen Olives - ha, ha, I thought the can said Green 'cos I wasn't wearing my specs. Hey, ho - Queen Olives are stuffed with Jalapeno chillies and I only discovered this when actually preparing the dish. My OH loves chillies so once he spotted them there was no way I could change direction :) The chillies mellowed down during the cooking process and didn't spoil the dish so that's an option I guess - I still prefer normal olives though. 

The beauty of recipe is that it truly is 'sling it all in' cooking (hear that Sandra?) - no need to brown the chicken or anything. It looks a bit insipid in the photos but, trust me, it's always so moist and tender....despite needing a bit of sunshine to get a suntan!

Enjoy!

Di
x

7 comments:

  1. I hear ya Di, I hear ya! Looks good to me and despite owning 2 chooks, rest assured I still LOVE eating chicken.

    My girls are safe as they are not eaters!

    A fling it all in and wang it in the oven type of dish is right up my street!!! THANKS!

    Hugs, Sarn xxxx

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  2. Another lovely recipe Di....not an olive lover but I'm sure I could adapt it :-)
    No sooner than I'd emailed you than another wonderful parcel arrived full of gorgeous fabrics...check out the blog :-) I feel so blessed to have so many really generous blogging friends :-)
    Hugs,
    A x

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  3. Hi Annie - I reckon the olives could easily be left out and perhaps replaced with baby tomatoes or perhaps button mushrooms. In fact, the photo I have on the magazine clipping seems as if it has tomato of some sort - but they didn't mention that! Have just replied to your email - instead of 'dashing away with the smoothing iron' as in the old song you must be 'dashing away with the sewing machine'! Hugs, Di xx

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  4. Oh thanks Di for the recipe I must try this. Have a lovely day!
    Diane :-) xx

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  5. Wow Di I just made this recipe on Wed. My son and GS were over for dinner so there were four breasts. My recipe calls for button mushrooms instead of olives. I give my chicken a little tan by popping them under the broiler for a minuet before serving.
    Hugs
    Bernie

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  6. like this one, but would perhaps use the toms instead of olives definitely worth a try

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  7. Wow this is making me feel hungrey!! looks gorgeous love the recipy l'll be giving this a go at my next party it looks mouth watering yum yum :) Sandra H

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