Seared Chicken With Salami and Olives
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1½ to 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 4ounces salami, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1large shallot, coarsely chopped
- 1cup pitted, halved olives, preferably a mild green olive like Castelvetrano or Picholine (see Tip)
- ½tablespoon cold unsalted butter
- Honey or light or dark brown sugar, to taste
Preparation
- Step 1
If you’re using chicken breasts, pound to an even ½-inch thickness with a heavy skillet or meat pounder. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes. (Breasts will be done before thighs.)
- Step 2
While the chicken’s cooking, place 1 cup of water near the stove. (You’ll need it in the next step.) Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, leaving the skillet over the heat.
- Step 3
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the salami and a few generous grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water, increase heat to a simmer and cook, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the olives, chicken and any juices from the plate. Simmer until the chicken is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 4
Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the butter until incorporated. Taste the sauce; if it’s too salty, add honey or brown sugar to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Tip
- If using a saltier olive like black oil-cured, reduce the quantity.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
PatC
Made per the recipe except to add some white wine to the water and subbed onion for the shallot. Not nearly as good as Kim Severson’s similar braise although simpler and quicker. Chicken is stringier and flavors lack depth. Next time I’ll go back to Kim’s recipe.
Mama Liz
Subbed beer for water, red onion for shallot. Husband raved but I thought it needed something to brighten the flavors -- some acid, lemon or lemon zest perhaps, and some chopped parsley to finish. Some garlic, crushed red pepper and fennel seed or rosemary might be nice too. Definitely needs something!
Regina L
Flavors are nice. Searing unfortunately made the chicken rubbery. The sauce was amazing and I paired this with fluffy mashed potato potatoes. I agree with others about using a little white wine and maybe some chicken broth. Next time I will either use chicken tenders and grill them or lightly egg wash/bread and pan fry them so that they are crispier and then make the sauce a little thicker. Yummy.
Sarah Martin
I added some paprika, rosemary, and thyme with the pepper after the salami and it really added some nice flavor! Some lemon juice and parsley would have made it perfect
middaygourmet
Taking another’s suggestion to add balsamic vinegar, I marinated thighs in balsamic vinaigrette before following the recipe exactly. It was excellent!
Cory
Definitely needs some lemon and/or vinegar to brighten the flavor. It turned out extremely salty, and the honey didn’t do much to reduce it.
Jared
I disagree with the notes saying the sauce needs to white wine or stock. The sauce was light and buttery as a pan sauce should be. As far as the comments suggesting lemon zest I again disagree the acidity of the olives alone would be enough to not need to add a citrus to. Only addition I would consider as a helpful note would be to add an herb if you feel it necessary. Otherwise this recipe needs no adaption
Trevor
Very good combination! I jazzed mine up a bit based on comments that it was a little humdrum as written: 1. Lightly floured the chicken thighs before pan frying to help thicken sauce at the end; 2. Used combo of white wine, chicken stock, and olive brine in lieu of water; and 3. Stirred in dried thyme when adding liquid. Once the sauce cooked down a bit it was just delicious! Really let the shallots get color in the pan, too.
AudraM
I followed the recipe with the exception of adding a splash of balsamic vinegar at the very end to the sauce. That brought just the right acidity for my tastes. I also will let the chicken sit in the sauce a bit longer after finished to soak it in as it was better reheated the next day having more time to soak.
Jeremy
Good overall, and easy to execute, but a tad greasy with all of that fried salami and EVOO. Could be a little zip or brightness with a touch of acid. I paired it with greens and a citronette which helped cut through some of the richness.
tom scott
Kathy wasn't a fan
CMB
Deglazed with white cooking wine which I think amped up the flavor. Otherwise made according to the recipe (had to sub a red onion for the shallot but I took the centers out to calm the bite.) Really enjoyed the marriage of textures here. Because I was in a chaotic mood I served it on top of Ali Slagle’s Italian Broccoli Salad - so excited for the leftovers.
Kymmore
Added a splash of wine with the water. It was an easy weeknight meal served with Yukon Gold smashed potatoes, olive oil, and rosemary! Great for a casual company dinner.
pagefive
This was a tasty and easy weeknight meal with some slight modifications. I substituted chicken stock for the water, added Aleppo pepper flakes, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, a dash of smoked paprika, and served over orzo. Family loved it!
Ezra
so you didn't make it
LHW
Not my favorite. Based on other comments I used chicken broth, white wine and a squeeze of lemon. But on one hand it was way too salty (even with adding honey), and on the other hand, not enough flavor.
EB
I made this because I happened to have all the ingredients in the fridge. And that's what it tasted like: the ingredients in my fridge. It wasn't one of those recipes that came together to make a better whole. If you like all of these ingredients and want to eat them warm, then try this recipe. Otherwise give it a pass.
Notes from other cooks.
I wish recipe authors would just weigh their olives (and other ingredients) to let us know how much to buy. (Looks like 7-8 oz here.) (In general, I prefer the European method of measuring ingredients by weight rather than by volume.)
Regina L
Flavors are nice. Searing unfortunately made the chicken rubbery. The sauce was amazing and I paired this with fluffy mashed potato potatoes. I agree with others about using a little white wine and maybe some chicken broth. Next time I will either use chicken tenders and grill them or lightly egg wash/bread and pan fry them so that they are crispier and then make the sauce a little thicker. Yummy.
Sarah Martin
I added some paprika, rosemary, and thyme with the pepper after the salami and it really added some nice flavor! Some lemon juice and parsley would have made it perfect
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