Robin Ellis

I last time I made this-–according to scribbled notes in Marcella Hazan’s Second Classic Italian Cookbook*–was on September 18, 1997!

What took me so long to do it again? It is delicious!

It needs good black olives–I use Greek, preserved in oil, from the stall in Castres market–they are juicy.

The note also says:

“Slow down a bit and watch for burning–add a little more wine….” 

So, as they say here–doucement [gently does it].

1 chicken–cut into 8 to 10 pieces with the skin

8oz juicy black olives–pitted

6 tbs olive oil

4 garlic cloves–peeled and lightly crushed

salt and pepper

3 tbs white wine vinegar

8 tbs white wine

3 anchovy fillets–chopped small

2 tbs parsley–chopped

3 tbs lemon juice

• Chop up half the pitted olives and set aside the rest
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and fry the garlic until it starts to color.
• Brown the seasoned chicken pieces over a medium heat–turning them every couple of minutes.
• Remove the garlic.
• Add the wine and vinegar.
• Cover the pan.

• Cook on until only half the liquid remains–about 20 minutes.
• Add the chopped olives and anchovies and turn the chicken pieces over in the mixture.
• Replace the cover and cook on a lowish heat for a further ten minutes when the chicken should be done.(This was the point at which I was cooking it too quickly and risked burning it.)
• Remove the lid and tilting the pan carefully spoon off most of the fat/oil.

• Add the remaining olives and parsley and turn everything over and heat through.
• Add the lemon juice and turn everything again.

* Marcella Hazen is one of the guiding lights of my cooking.

Her first and second cook books were combined into Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.