Description
This Anchovy Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Potatoes is one of our favorite cast-iron dinners in the fall and winter months. The resulting dish balances savory, briny, and salty flavors with the heartiness of a classic chicken and potato dinner.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 minced garlic cloves*
- 1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 8-10 anchovies in oil
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 140 g pitted Castelvetrano olives
- juice of 1 lemon
- Optional: fresh parsley to finish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F / 200 C.
- In a food processor, combine the anchovies, 1 tbsp of the divided garlic-infused olive oil (or olive oil + minced garlic), Dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, and zest of 1 lemon. Blitz until emulsified and then reserve to the side.
- In a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of the divided garlic infused oil (or olive oil + minced garlic) until shimmering. Add the potatoes to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown, then remove the potatoes from the pan and reserve to the side.
- There should be residual oil from the potatoes in the pan, however, if your potatoes have soaked up all the oil you can add up to an additional tbsp if needed. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and allow to cook undisturbed until brown on one side, about 5-minutes. If you find that your chicken is browning too quickly, you can reduce the heat. I find that this is usually necessary when I'm working with cast-iron pans in particular. Flip the chicken and dress the first browned side in half of the reserved anchovy sauce. I find this is easiest to do with a basting brush, but you can spread it over top with a spoon too. Allow the second side to cook undisturbed until brown, about 5-minutes then flip and dress the second side in the remaining half of the reserved anchovy sauce. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to the side.
- Lower the heat to medium (if you haven't already) and add the lemon juice and deglaze the pan, using your spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan for about 30 seconds to one minute, then turn the heat off.
- Add the reserved potatoes back to the pan, then nestle the reserved chicken thighs between the potatoes and scatter the Castelvatrano olives among the potatoes and chicken.
- Transfer the pan to the preheated oven to roast for 25-minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. For tender and juicy chicken thighs, the internal temperature should register between 175-195 degrees F (80-90 C)** when tested with a meat thermometer. If your potatoes are especially large, this may take a few extra minutes --but don't worry, chicken thighs can handle a few extra minutes in the oven without overcooking (unlike chicken breasts) owing to their higher fat content. Serve warm with a sprinkle of fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
*You can substitute the minced garlic and regular olive oil in favor of garlic-unfused olive oil if you prefer.
**The minimum safe internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165 degrees F (75 C), which is an ideal temperature for chicken breasts. However, I prefer to cook chicken thighs to a higher internal temperature between 175-195 degrees F (80-90 C). The reason chicken thighs should be cooked to a higher temperature is due to the abundance of connective tissue. The longer the chicken cooks, the more connective tissue breaks down into gelatin, rendering a more tender and juicy chicken thigh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 1222 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 54 g
- Cholesterol: 152 mg