Orecchiette with Broccoli, Chickpeas & Green Olives

Over the course of the past few years, canned chickpeas have become one of my favorite pantry staples. When we were encouraged to stock up a bit on supplies in March of 2020, canned chickpeas were on my list. But I was surprised by how I came to rely on them. They are nutritious…easy to use…and at home in a wide range of cuisines. They also take well to all kinds of cooking methods: they can be pureed, stewed, roasted, or sautéed. I add them to salads, grain pilafs/bowls, soups and stews, vegetable sauté/ragouts and pastas. If I use the last can, I immediately add them to my grocery list.

Like most beans, chickpeas are a bit bland on their own, so they pair well with strong flavors. I particularly love them with bitter things--like brassicas (like cauliflower, kale and broccoli), eggplant and tahini. They are also wonderful with tangy things—like tomatoes, capers and lemon…and salty things—like olives, Feta & Pecorino.

The pasta I’m sharing today features chickpeas and broccoli…with an exuberant mix of strong flavors: sweet caramelized red onion, aromatic and pungent rosemary and garlic, spicy hot pepper flakes, tangy green olives and salty pecorino. I have given the amounts that I use for the aromatic, spicy and tangy elements…but you should feel free to use a heavier hand, always remembering to keep the flavors in balance. The overall effect should be lively and flavorful…just the kind of pasta to warm you during the depths of winter.

The recipe is for just one portion…because these days, my cooking at home is almost always for just one. (As an aside—if you are interested in reading more about how I go about cooking in my small household, I encourage you to consider subscribing to my monthly newsletter: Notes from For Love of the Table.) If you are cooking for more than one, the recipe is easily multiplied to feed as many as you like.

When cooking more than one serving, you will obviously need a larger pan…but the direction given in the recipe will still apply: “choose a pan that will accommodate your vegetables in a snug single layer.” And as far as the cooking of the pasta is concerned, choose a pot that will allow the noodles to move freely in the water as they cook.

You’ll notice that a serving for one only uses a quarter of the can of chickpeas. Drained and rinsed, the rest of the can will keep just fine in an airtight container in the fridge. For longer storage, they can be frozen. They can be easily thawed by placing them in the fridge…or, if you’re in a hurry, by placing them in a sieve and running them under the tap. There is almost always a partial can of chickpeas in my freezer.

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Chickpeas & Castelvetrano Olives

75 to 80 g. (a scant 3 oz.) broccoli crowns
2 T. olive oil, divided
1/4 of a medium red onion (2 1/2 oz.), finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
Salt
1/2 t. minced fresh rosemary (see notes)
1/8 t. hot pepper flakes (see notes)
1 small clove of garlic, minced (see notes)
1/4 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (65 g.)
4 or 5 pitted Castelvetrano olives, quartered
75 g (mounded 3/4 c.) orecchiette
1/2 oz. coarsely grated Pecorino

Prepare the broccoli: Trim the florets away from the stems and cut into uniform, small (3/4- to 1-inch) florets. Trim the tough end off of the stalk (you should only need to trim away about a quarter inch or so—because you are using "crowns" the stalk portion should be almost entirely usable). Cut the trimmed stalks into rough 1/4-inch by 1-inch sticks (or just roughly chop).

In a small sauté pan (large enough to hold all the sauce ingredients) set over moderate heat, warm a 2 to 3 t. of the olive oil. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt (be careful with the added salt in this recipe…the olives and Pecorino are salty…and you will be cooking the broccoli in salty water). When the onion is sizzling nicely, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, adding more oil as necessary if the pan seems dry—about 10 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat a bit and cook until the onion has shrunk and is beginning to caramelize around the edges—another 5 minutes or so. If the onions seem dry as they cook, drizzle in a bit more of the olive oil.

When the onions are cooked as directed, add the rosemary, garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Drizzle in a little more oil and add the chickpeas, cooking until they begin to sizzle in the onions/oil. Remove from the heat and fold in the olives. Set aside in a warm place.

While the onions cook, bring a medium sized saucepan of well salted water (about a teaspoon per quart) to a boil. When the onions have about five minutes left to cook, add the broccoli stems. Boil for three minutes. Add the florets and continue to boil until the florets are tender—about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Lift out the broccoli (using a bowl sieve), shaking off the excess water as you do, and add to the pan with the chickpeas and onions.

Bring the water the broccoli was cooked in back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (8 minutes or so…depending on the brand). Scoop out and reserve a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pan it was cooked in and scrape in the broccoli chickpea mixture. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. Add a little past water if the pasta seems dry. Fold in the remaining olive oil (plus more if you like). Transfer to a plate and top with the Pecorino. Serves 1.

Notes:

• This recipe can obviously be multiplied to serve more than one. Simply choose a pan wide enough to hold all the ingredients in a snug, shallow (an inch?) layer.
• 75 grams of pasta is a sixth of a pound. If you want more pasta with your sauce, simply cook a little more.
• If your sauté pan is large enough, you may simply add the drained pasta to the sauté pan to toss it with the sauce. (My pan isn’t quite large enough).
• This pasta should be assertive: salty, spicy and aromatic. Feel free to use heaped measures of the rosemary, garlic and hot pepper flakes. I love olives, so I use at least 5 when I make this dish.
• Cauliflower would make a great substitution for all or part of the broccoli.

Printable Version

Roasted Potatoes & Carrots with Glazed Pearl Onions & Olives

The recipe I’m sharing today came about on Christmas day after a holiday season of scrambling to work as much as possible—and consequently spreading myself too thin—in order to prepare for the looming slower than usual January.  More tired than I have been in past years after a normal food-service industry pedal to the metal holiday pace (due to the stress of the past year, I assume), I hadn’t even bothered to shop for Christmas dinner.  I had meat options in my freezer…and an assortment of orphan vegetables (left from various private events) in my pantry and fridge.  I figured I could come up with something.  After all, I was only serving two.

As often happens at moments like this, the meal turned out to be exceptionally delicious.  I don’t know if it was due to low expectations… or having the freedom to prepare foods that aren’t on the extended family-approved list… or the fact that it was truly a simple meal (small number of ingredients…simply prepared).   It is likely that it was the intersection of all these things. 

In any case, it will live in my memory:  Lamb rack—flavored with salt, pepper & rosemary; haricots verts with hazelnuts, shallots and orange zest; and garlic and thyme roasted carrots and potatoes with pearl onions and black olives.  That’s it.  It had more the character of a fancier than usual week night meal than a holiday meal, but it was perfect for the day.  The lamb and green beans were already a part of my permanent repertoire.  The potatoes and carrots were a gussied up version of a simple dish I have made on and off over the years.  The pearl onions turned out to be the surprise star of the show.  

Glazed pearl onions are a garnish found often in traditional, classic French cooking.  When I was at Le Cordon Bleu, it seemed like they were in everything.  Peeling pearl onions was frequently the first thing you did when you entered your daily practical.  And peeling them is the most difficult part of the preparation.  But it isn’t really difficult…just a bit tedious.  It isn’t an activity that I would choose to do as often as we did it in school, but as I discovered on Christmas day:  it is occasionally worth it (especially if you are only preparing a few). 

To peel pearl onions, start by trimming the ends (getting rid of the roots and the stringy blossom end).  Then, place them in a bowl and cover them with boiling water.  Let them sit a few minutes until the skins begin to soften.  Lift them out of the water and peel away the skins while the onions are still warm.  To do this you will need the help of a paring knife (choke up on the knife and use just the tip).  If some of the outer layer of onion comes off because the skin seems stuck, don’t worry too much.  It is likely this outer layer is tough and dry if the softened skin won’t pull away and in such case it’s best to discard it anyway. 

To cook, place the onions in a saucepan that will just hold them in a snug single layer, cover them with water and add a bit of butter, sugar and salt. 

Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered until they are almost tender (the tip of a knife will encounter a slight resistance in the center). 

Remove the lid completely, increase the heat to moderately high and boil rapidly until the water has evaporated and the onions are sizzling in the butter/sugar mixture. 

You may stop at this point if you just want a pale glaze…or you may continue to cook (over a slightly reduced heat, swirling the pan regularly and keeping a close eye on them) until the glaze caramelizes and the onions are coated in the golden brown glaze. 

In classic French cooking these onions are often used as a final garnish. They are simply warmed and scattered over the surface of the dish.  One of the most famous uses is in the à la grand-mère (grandmother style) garnish of meat stews: combined with fat chunks of bacon and sautéed mushrooms….a beautiful and delicious touch.

For Christmas dinner I used them as the final addition to a pan of roasted carrots and baby potatoes…along with some salty black olives.  I don’t normally keep pearl onions.  They were part of the odds and ends I had left from my busy season.  As I stood in front of my pantry on Christmas day, it occurred to me that they would add a special touch to our meal.  And they did.  The interplay of savory, salty and sweet lit up the plate.  If you are looking for a simple side that punches lots of flavor buttons to go with a plain cutlet or chop, you could do worse. 

I’m glad I rediscovered glazed pearl onions.  I think when I left school I wasn’t planning to ever cook them again of my own volition.  But revisiting them after all these years has elevated my opinion of them.  I will probably make a point to keep a bag in my pantry during the late fall and winter months from now on.  

Roasted Potatoes & Carrots with Glazed Pearl Onions & Olives

1/2 lb. creamer—or similar small—potatoes (about 8 potatoes), scrubbed
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks using a roll cut (see below)
4 to 5 cloves of garlic
Several sprigs of thyme
Olive oil
5 oz. yellow or white pearl onions, peeled
1 t. butter
1/2 t. sugar
10 to 12 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1 T. minced flat leaf parsley
A squeeze of lemon, optional (see note)

Preheat the oven to 375°.  Combine the potatoes, carrots, garlic and thyme in a roasting pan large enough to hold the vegetables in a snug single layer.  Drizzle liberally with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. 

Cover the pan with foil transfer to the oven.  Remove the foil after 25 minutes.  Continue to roast until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize—another 15 to 20 minutes. 

While the vegetables roast, prepare the glazed pearl onions.  Place the onions in a small saucepan just large enough to hold them in a snug single layer.  Add water to cover.  Add the butter sugar and a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook until almost tender.  Uncover and increase the heat to medium-high to high and boil until the liquid is reduced to a glaze; reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the glaze turns a golden brown, swirling the pan to coat the onions with the glaze.   Set aside.

When the roasted vegetables are tender, add the pearl onions and olives to the pan.  Return to the oven and roast for another five minutes.  Remove from the oven.  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon, if you like.  Fold in the parsley and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.  Serves 2 generously.

Notes:

• To roll cut carrots, place the carrot on the cutting board and cut a 1-inch segment, making the cut on a diagonal. Roll the carrot forward a quarter turn and make the next cut, using the same angle. Continue to roll and cut all the way up the carrot.
• You may or may not need lemon juice. If the carrots and onions are fresh and sweet, you might not. But after tasting the finished vegetables, if they are well seasoned, yet still seem a bit one dimensional or flat tasting, give them a squeeze of lemon to lift and brighten the flavors.
• You may substitute cipollini onions for the pearl onions if you like. 
• The recipe is easily multiplied.  Just choose appropriately sized pans.

Printable Version 

 

Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Peppers

An unfortunate fact of a long career in foods is that you forget a lot. Not just things you thought you would never forget…like the exact method you used to use every single day to execute a certain preparation.  Sometimes you forget about the existence of entire recipes.  The recipe I’m sharing today is one of those recipes. 

I’m not quite sure now how it came up in conversation, but a friend was telling me how much she loved my Chickpea salad…that it was so versatile…that she makes it frequently.  I was gratified that she was enjoying a recipe I had shared so much.  But I finally told her that I was drawing a complete blank regarding the salad. 

She was surprised I had forgotten it…but she obliged me by describing it in more detail:  roasted bell peppers…  green olives…  celery…  a spicy vinaigrette….  Slowly I began to remember the salad.  To make it even more embarrassing, it wasn’t just a recipe I had only made a time or two.  I had actually taught it in a class on salads. After her reminder, I decided I needed to make it again soon.

I admit I didn’t follow through.  I actually have no idea how long ago it was that this conversation took place.  But sometime this summer I remembered the recipe and the conversation (all on my own).  It is likely that the recipe popped into my head due to the fact that my eating habits have changed slightly as I have morphed from a household of two into a household of one.  Things that keep well and are versatile regarding the manner in which they can be served hold great appeal.  This salad is a winner in both categories.  It keeps for several days (the flavor, in fact, improves).  It functions well as a side dish—to lamb…or chicken…or fish (it was accompanied by olive oil poached tuna in that long ago class).  And it is excellent as a part of a salad platter or meze spread (recently it made a particularly fine workday lunch with a grated carrot salad, soft cooked egg, and flatbread).  It would be great on a picnic or as part of a boxed lunch.

Since I rediscovered this recipe I have made it several times.  It was originally part of a summer salad class because of the roasted red peppers—but it doesn’t have to be a summer salad.  Beautiful ripe peppers are available well into fall.  And good quality hot house peppers (while not as delicious as the local specimens) are available year round.  I can definitely see this salad becoming part of my regular rotation of “go-to” recipes.  I’m so glad I shared it with a friend…or it might have been lost forever. 

 

Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Peppers

& Moroccan Vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette:

2 T. freshly squeezed & strained lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/8 t. cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)

Salt & freshly ground pepper

1/4 c. olive oil

For the salad:

1 can (14-oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed (1 1/2 c.)

2 large red bell peppers (about 14 oz.), roasted, peeled, seeded & cut in a 1/2-inch dice

1/4 to 1/3 c. finely diced red onion, rinsed under cold running water and blotted dry

A generous 1/3 c. very thinly sliced heart of celery, including some of the leaves

1/4 cup finely sliced cilantro (or flat leaf parsley, if you prefer)

10 pitted large green olives

Salt & Pepper, to taste

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, and spices.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Gradually whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream to form an emulsion. Set aside.   

To make the salad, drain and rinse the chickpeas and place in a large bowl.  Add the peppers, onions, celery, cilantro and enough vinaigrette to generously coat the ingredients.  Toss to coat.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  At this point, the salad can be left at room temperature to marinate for up to 30 minutes, or it may be covered and refrigerated (it keeps well for several days—check the seasoning before serving).  If refrigerated, bring to room temperature to serve. 

Serves 3 to 4

Notes:

• The recipe multiplies well for larger appetites, or a crowd
• If you have harissa on hand, it is delicious served on the side

Printable Version 

Bulgur topped with a Medley of Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Chickpeas, Fennel & Feta

Last Sunday I finally got around to looking through some of my summer food magazines.  I don’t get to them as often as I like, but they always provide inspiration when I do. This time, among other things, I noticed a pasta salad in the July/August issue of Martha Stewart Living, filled with things I love:  Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Fennel, Chickpeas & Capers.  Since I had fresh fennel and cherry tomatoes on hand…and I’m always in the mood for pasta…I decided I would try it this week.

I finally got to it on Friday evening.  I had every intention of making the pasta exactly as written, but when dinner time rolled around, I wasn’t really in the mood for pasta (shocking… I know…).   I decided that what I really wanted was a grain salad…and that bulgur would be delicious with all the flavors of the “sauce” from the original recipe.

Then, as I was preparing the medley of marinated vegetables, I decided that they were so beautiful…and so tasty on their own…that I really didn’t want to fold them into the bulgur.  Instead, I decided to use the bulgur as a bed for a big pile of the marinated vegetables…sort of like a streamlined grain bowl.  It was delicious.  And just what I was hungry for.

Bulgur with a Medley of Marinated Cherry Tomatoes,

 Chickpeas, Fennel & Feta

Bulgur:

2 T. olive oil

1 small red onion (4 to 5 oz.), finely diced (you will have about 1 c. diced onion)

kosher salt

1 fat clove garlic, minced

1 t. fennel seed, crushed with a mortar & pestle

2 t. dried oregano

1 c. (6 oz.) medium bulgur, rinsed and drained

1 1/4 c. boiling water

Marinated Vegetables:

1 pint (2/3 lb.) cherry tomatoes, quartered (halved, if small)

3 T. capers

1/2 c. pitted Kalamata olives (about 24), halved
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 c. flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, cored & thinly sliced/shaved crosswise using a mandolin

4 oz. Feta, drained and cut into scant 1/2-inch cubes

Warm 2 T. olive oil in a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid over moderate heat.  Add the onions along with a pinch of salt and sweat until tender and translucent.  Add the garlic, fennel & oregano and cook until fragrant—about a minute.  Increase the heat to medium high and add the drained bulgur along with a generous pinch of salt.  Continue to cook for a minute.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered until the bulgur is tender—12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let stand (covered) for 5 minutes.  Scrape the finished bulgur onto a baking sheet and let cool to room temperature.

While the bulgur cooks and cools, make the medley of marinated vegetables.  Place all the ingredients in a bowl and fold together.  Season to taste with salt & pepper. 

To serve, spoon the room temperature bulgur onto a platter or individual plates, spreading out a bit and making a small divot in the center to hold the vegetables.  Mount the vegetables on top of the bulgur, making sure to get all of the liquid.  Drizzle with more olive oil, if you like.  Serves 4 as a light entrée.   

Notes & Suggestions:

• If you like, you may of course just combine the vegetables and bulgur and serve as a bulgur salad. The bulgur will absorb the juices, making a delicious grain salad.
• Even though I wasn’t in the mood for pasta when I made this, I’m sure that the vegetable mixture would be delicious on pasta for a pasta salad. Use 1 pound of gemelli, fusilli or cavatappi, cooked al dente and spread on a sheet pan to cool (rather than rinsing).

Printable Version

For those who might be preparing this for a household of one or two…and who only want to make half of a recipe (which is what I did), let me suggest a fantastic use for your remaining half can of chickpeas from Ottolenghi’s Simple: Chickpeas and Swiss Chard with Yogurt. If you like Mediterranean food and you shop at the farmer’s market or are a member of a CSA, it is likely you already have everything you need. I served it with Basmati Rice and warm flatbread. It was delicious. If you have the book, it’s on page 100. If not, the Guardian posted the recipe last year.

Marinated Summer Squash…with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, and Capers

Earlier this summer I had an unfortunate experience with a recipe for marinated summer squash.  I wasn’t really paying attention to what was going on during the cooking process…I think I was distracted...and I was just blindly following a recipe in an attempt to get dinner on the table quickly.  (It happens to us all!)  The result was mushy…and oily…and kind of awful.  Because this was early in the summer, I’ve had the whole growing season to be sort of peripherally obsessed with marinated summer squash.  I’ve noticed it whenever a recipe for it crossed my path (which—surprisingly—happened with some frequency), and I’ve made several variations now.

Early on I happened across a great basic recipe from The Canal House.  I love recipes like this—no-frills, “method” recipes that enhance your understanding of a process and can then be used as a foundation for all kinds of variations.  Once you have the method recipe for something in your repertoire, you then begin to see it being used within more elaborate recipes all the time…and even when the more elaborate recipe is poorly or obscurely written, if you like the dish that recipe is trying to convey, you can then use your knowledge of the basic method…and the idea presented in the new recipe…and produce something delicious to eat. 

The basic method for marinated squash is to cook large pieces of squash 

(grill, broil, roast, sauté in a skillet, etc.) until golden brown and just tender (should still have a bit of resistance in the center) 

and then dress it with a tangy, garlicky, herby dressing while still warm. 

Then, all you have to do is let the squash sit and marinate until it has cooled to room temperature.  At that point you can enjoy it right away…or the next day (or later).  It is good chilled, at room temperature, or reheated.  The trick for success is choosing small, tender squash

...and then being careful not to overcook it (no matter what size you end up with).

I have run across variations on this basic method ranging from simple to complex.  Bon Appétit had a recipe in June with hazelnuts and mint (served on a bed of ricotta).  Joshua McFadden in his book Six Seasons includes a recipe with cherry tomatoes and a complex vinaigrette made with capers, raisins, anchovies and loads of parsley.  For subtle crunch, he tops the whole dish with a shower of toasted breadcrumbs.  



Michael Solomonov (Zahav) spoons his marinated squash over a “charred zucchini baba ganoush” and tops it with feta and hazelnuts. In her book Fresh from the Farmers’ Market, Janet Fletcher makes her vinaigrette with tomato concassé, niçoise olives, and capers.

Marinated squash can be served as a side dish (it’s especially nice with fish, chicken and lamb), but that’s just the beginning.  As demonstrated by the Bon Appétit and Solomonov versions, it is perfect for serving on top of a smear of ricotta, hummus…or other favorite spread.  If you add a loaf of crusty bread…or some warm flatbread…you have dinner.   At my table, I have served this squash for dinner on top of a big mound of fresh corn polenta…and as a side to halibut and toasted pine nut couscous.  

And I have enjoyed it for lunch with a custardy, soft cooked egg and a mound of warm freekeh.  

My favorite version is a hybrid of several of the recipes mentioned above (and it’s the one I’m including in my post).  Once you make it, I imagine you will come up with your own variations…and find a myriad of ways in which to serve it.

Marinated Summer Squash with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, & Capers

1 lb. firm small summer squash (a mix of shapes and colors, if possible)

1 T. olive oil

Salt & pepper

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 large clove of garlic, peeled

1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved (mixed colors, if available)

1 1/2 T. capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped

1/3 c. Kalamata (or other favorite brine-cured olive), halved

1/3 c. olive oil

10 to 12 large fresh basil leaves, cut in a medium chiffonnade

1/4 c. toasted breadcrumbs or toasted walnuts

Trim the squash.  For cylindrical squash, halve each squash lengthwise.  If the squash are on the large size (larger than 4 or 5 oz.), cut each in half again lengthwise.  Your goal is long slabs that are about 1/2-to 3/4-inch thick.  For patty pan-style squash, cut in half horizontally through the equator.  Again, if they are on the large side, you may want to cut these slices in half (to make semi-circles) or if the squash is extra tall, you may just want to cut it in 3 thick slices horizontally.  As with the zucchini, your goal is slabs that are 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. 

Heat your grill or broiler to high.  Place the squash in a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil.  If you are broiling the squash, spread it on a baking sheet.  Slide the pan under the broiler or, alternatively, arrange the squash on the grill.  Grill or broil, turning occasionally, until both sides of the squash are lightly browned and just tender, but not mushy—there will still be a small amount of resistance in the center of the squash.  (Alternatively, you can simply brown the squash in a skillet on the stove top.  Film the pan with oil and cook over medium to medium-high heat, starting with a cut surface and then turning as the squash brown.)

While the squash cooks, place the vinegar in a large bowl.  Using a microplaner, grate the garlic into the bowl.  Add the tomatoes, olives, capers and olive oil.  Season generously with salt & pepper and toss to combine.

When the squash is tender, transfer to a wide, shallow dish and season with salt.  (If any of the squash is longer than 4 inches, then cut those in half first.) Pour the tomato salad over the squash and add the basil.  Gently toss everything together using a rubber spatula.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  

Let the squash sit for at least half an hour before serving, gently tossing the ingredients a time or two as they sit.  The squash may be gently warmed or served at room temperature.  To serve, transfer to a serving platter and shower with toasted bread crumbs or walnuts.  Serves 4.

Toasted Breadcrumbs:  Remove the crusts from a day old baguette or a few slices of artisanal style white bread.  Place in the food processor and process until bread is reduced a mixture of crumbs ranging from fine to pieces that are about the size of a pea.  Spread the crumbs in a small baking pan or pie plate and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil.  Toss to distribute the olive oil and moisten all of the crumbs.  Transfer to a 350° to 375° oven and bake, stirring at five minute intervals, until the crumbs are golden brown and crisp.  Let cool.  Toasted breadcrumbs may be stored for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container.   Freeze for longer storage.

Toasted Walnuts:  Spread the walnuts in a small baking dish and place in a 350° oven until golden and fragrant…about 5 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, crumble the walnuts with your hands.  Drizzle sparingly with olive oil and season with salt.

Printable Version

Chicken with Dried Apricots, Green Olives & Almonds

Over the weekend a friend asked me what kinds of things I was cooking and what I was hungry for right now. We had been discussing my blog…and what I might be posting next. My first thought was that I wasn’t doing too much in the way of cooking at all. There are a lot of reasons for this. I’m tired from the busy season. I’m spending a lot of time catching up with friends (many of whom—including the friend who asked the question—work in my industry and are also coming up for air at the moment). This means I am eating out more than usual. I have also spent the first few days of the year digging myself out from under piles of paperwork and other things that got pushed to the side during the busy season. And I admit that I am plowing through all of this stuff at a rather leisurely pace… By the time dinner rolls around I am relying on the simple…and the tried & true (single ingredient pastas, soups, sandwiches, grain pilafs)—all things that I have already posted…or that are so simple and basic they don’t’ require a recipe.

My next thought was about the things I am truly hungry for this time of year. And it’s probably the same thing most of us are hungry for: rich braises and stews, slow roasts, hearty casseroles, all-day bean soups.... Foods that fill the house all afternoon with their good smells…and then warm you down to your toes when you finally sit down to the table. Foods like this are not difficult, but they do take a bit of advance planning….and my weekend was already well underway when I was having this conversation. 

As I was thinking about all these things, an image popped into my mind—a picture of a Moroccan-inspired chicken dish that I made a few years ago. (It must have been hovering there near the forefront of my mind after all the time I had spent going through some old pictures on my computer….) 



The recipe as I had made it was adapted only very slightly from the original in a winter issue of Martha Stewart Living. It is likely that I chose to make it the first time because it was a perfect intersection of the things I just described: It is simple and easy to make…and at the same time has the feel of the hearty and richly flavored foods I tend to crave during the early days of winter. 

Inspired by my conversation, I made it for dinner last night. I am happy to report that it was just as simple to make as I remembered. If you like Mediterranean flavors, you probably have the apricots, olives, almonds and spices on hand. If you cook regularly, it is also likely you have the carrots, onions and garlic at the ready. You might even have the chicken in your freezer (in which case, this would make a perfect snow day dinner!). As it happened, I did not have any chicken in my freezer, so I stopped on my way home from my coffee date with my friend and got some. And just as I remembered, once the ingredients were assembled, it was ready for the table in no time at all (…or in about an hour and fifteen minutes, to be more exact).

I have to admit that I find it difficult to believe that something that comes together so quickly can have such a rich flavor and unctuous texture. But it does. How great is that? And if you are craving this kind of dish—but just haven’t had the time to invest in a rich braise…or hearty casserole—I highly recommend that you add this one to your menu plans for some evening very soon.  

Chicken with Dried Apricots, Green Olives & Almonds

3 to 4 lbs chicken thighs

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 

Olive oil 

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced 

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 lb. carrots, topped, tailed, peeled and cut on a long bias into 3-inch pieces (about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick)

1 1/2 t. ground ginger 

3/4 t. ground cinnamon 

2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 

Zest of 1 orange

A generous pinch of saffron threads 

3/4 c. whole almonds, lightly toasted

3/4 c. dried apricots, halved crosswise if very large

1/2 c. green olives, pitted

1/2 c. lightly packed cilantro leaves, sliced into a rough chiffonade

Harissa, optional

Season chicken with salt and pepper (if time, do this up 12 to 24 hours ahead, cover loosely and store in the refrigerator). Heat a braiser pan or deep straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat; add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan (1 to 2 T.). Add the chicken, skin side down, and brown all over, in batches if necessary to keep from crowding the pan. Regulate the heat as necessary to maintain an active sizzle. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off all but a tablespoon or so of fat from the pan. 

Reduce heat to medium; add onion, garlic, and carrots. Season lightly with salt (be careful, the olives will add a lot of salt). Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in ginger and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Stir in broth, orange zest and saffron, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Return chicken and accumulated juices to pan. Add the almonds, apricots and olives. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh (without touching bone) reads 180 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and correct the seasoning. You may stir the cilantro in, or scatter it over the finished dish. Serve with couscous or rice. Pass harissa if you like. Serves 6 

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living)

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