Chicken with Anchovies and Olives
A note to the anchovy-averse: you will not know that there are anchovies in this dish, but they impart a delectable savoriness that should not be missed. Be adventurous. Even the avowed Anchovy Hater Miss T enjoyed it. This is based on a Marcella Hazan recipe.
1 chicken (about 4 lbs) cut up into serving pieces
flour for dusting
olive oil for sauteeing
salt and pepper
about a cup of the best imported green olives you can find
(not the crap in the can, please), pitted and chopped
1 tin of anchovies, chopped fine
garlic, and alot of it, minced
an onion, preferably large and red, sliced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Juice of one lemon
handful of flat leaf Italian parsely (or regular fresh parsely, if flat is not available), chopped
In a large deep heavy skillet, dredge chicken pieces LIGHTLY (i.e. a dusting), in flour to which you have added salt and liberal amounts of pepper. Brown in a goodly amount of olive oil, in batches if necessary, remove to a plate. Drain all but 2 T of olive oil. In the remaining olive oil, add the garlic, the anchovies, and the onion. Sautee for about five minutes until the garlic is golden, scraping up any bits of browned chicken or flour from the pan. Add balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and return chicken to the pan. Cover (set cover slightly askew), and cook over med-low heat another 40 minutes or so. After about 30 minutes, add olives and parsely.
Serve with rice, pasta, or potatoes.
Carolyn