Lovely Legs Chicken with Almonds Capers Lemon Raisins and Olives

Posted 2014-08-31 by finy ⇒ follow

Plated chicken with almonds and olives

This is one of the most interesting mixes of flavours I have made in a long time.

The lemon mixed with the olives, raisins, capers, balsamic vinegar and almond pieces make this a "must try" dish!

It was also even better heated up the second day.

You can buy "lovely legs" at major supermarkets, butchers, and chicken stores.

Preparation Time: 25 minutes plus marinating
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients
8 Chicken Maryland pieces -skin off - or 8 pieces each thighs and lovely legs
Zest of 2 lemons
4 fresh bay leaves
2 stalks rosemary
¼ stick cinnamon, ground or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Virgin olive oil for drizzling
½ cup flaked almonds
40 g butter
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Up to 16 green olives-I used stuffed with fetta
½ cup raisins
¼ cup salted capers, rinsed and drained
Chopped parsley, to serve

Method

Remove lemon zest in wide strips with a vegetable peeler (reserving flesh for squeezing before serving).

Separate the chicken legs from thighs if joined, and marinate chicken with this lemon zest, bay leaves, rosemary, cinnamon and a good splash of the olive oil, for at least one hour however overnight if possible.

Preparing the marinade for chicken

Preheat fan forced oven to 180°.

Place the flaked almonds on a baking tray and roast for about 5 minutes or until golden, then set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 195°.

Flaked almonds, baked

Heat the butter in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt if desired and then remove from the marinade. Working in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan, gently pan fry chicken pieces for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown all over.

Starting to fry the chicken pieces

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the chicken for 10 minutes.

Chicken roasing in the oven

Meanwhile get the olives, capers and sultanas ready.

Olives, capers, and sultanas

Take the pan out and add the balsamic vinegar over high heat, then add olives, raisins and capers.

All ingredients now mixed

Return to the oven for another 10 - 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Cooked chicken

Toss over the almonds and parsley, then squeeze over the juice of at least one of the reserved lemons, taste and add more lemon juice, if needed.

Lemon juice, parsley and almonds added

Leave to rest for up to 10 minutes, then serve.

Plated recipe

I served it with grated carrot, fresh pineapple and sultanas. It would also be nice on a bed of boiled potatoes as the gravy would seep into the potatoes -yum!

Categories
#dinner
#lunch
#entertaining
#fine_tasting
#chicken_pieces
#family
#olives
#almonds

%recipeyum

225748 - 2023-07-17 09:36:07

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Lovely Legs Chicken with Almonds Capers Lemon Raisins and Olives

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