Chicken with Olives and Lemon

Chicken with olives and lemon came to the rescue today.  I knew I had a busy day ahead and didn’t want to spend it wondering what I was going to cook later, so decided to raid the fridge and freezer and see what I could find.  This turned into a delicious meal for a perfect autumnal evening.  It even looks autumnal!  And smells divine.  What’s more, because it needs marinading, I was able to prepare it all in advance and simply put it into the oven an hour before we wanted to eat.

As a side note, if you prefer to use chicken breasts, they’ll be delicious.  The bones and skin of the chicken thighs give this meal a deep flavour, but if you’re watching calories and/or fat content, chicken breasts are just as tasty.

Chicken with Olives and Lemon

Serves 4 as a main course

Marinade overnight if possible (or 3 to 4 hours)

8 chicken thighs (with skin on)

2 red onions, sliced

4 plum tomatoes, rinsed and halved

3 cloves of garlic, chopped chunky

100g of black olives, pitted

Juice and zest of one lemon

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

220ml water

4 handfuls cherry tomatoes

Small handful fresh parsley

Salt and black pepper to taste

How to prepare Chicken with Olives and Lemon

Add all ingredients into a large bowl except for the cherry tomatoes and parsley.  Cover and leave to marinade.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/ Gas 4.

To cook, simply put the chicken mixture into an ovenproof dish, with skin up on the chicken thighs and cook for 45 minutes with the lid on.  Next, add the cherry tomatoes and bake uncovered for a further 20 minutes until the skin on the chicken has crispied up.

Scatter with fresh parsley, add salt and pepper to taste and serve up with your favourite greens.

We were hungry for this meal, so I boiled up some bulgar wheat and orzo to add to the dish once it was cooked.  It was delicious comfort food x100.  Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy it!