Roast Chicken With Green & Black Olives

No chopping, peeling or sauteing was used in the preparation of this recipe -- in other words, it's easy.

Among my favorite canned or bottled pantry ingredients are green and black olives. Just check out my Fish Veracruz and my wife's delicious tuna salad, both made with green olives; I'll also add canned black olives to most any pasta dish .

It was only a matter of time before I came up with adding both to 69 cent per pound chicken leg quarters (in 10 lb. bags) from my local Latin market . And olives are a dollar store staple.

Sometimes you take a chance and it all works out. Briny green olives and plump black olives roasting in the juices of dark chicken meat meld and compliment each other - the sourness and salt from the olives are made mild, adding just the right amount of tartness. This dish is a little bit Middle Eastern and a touch Italian.
I especially enjoy making a simple dish with great flavor -- I hope you do too.

Ingredients (serves 3 - 4)
1 small jar of green olives - with or without pimentos, drained. They can be chopped, sliced or whole, whatever is on sale.
1 can of black olives - drained.
3 - 4 chicken leg quarters - or any chicken pieces on sale.
Pepper to taste.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add chicken to a large pot or pan. Drain green and black olives. *Sprinkle olives over and in-between chicken pieces. Season with pepper. Roast uncovered for an hour and a half. If you use white meat, reduce time to about an hour. Done when chicken juices run clear (no red) when pierced with a knife or fork. Skin-on chicken will render more fat, so you may need to skim off some of it (but do leave a little, it's such a delicious decadent pleasure, especially drizzled over rice or couscous).

 

* For extra flavor add any fresh or favorite herb you have on hand, a teaspoon of chopped garlic and a cup of white wine, along with the olives.