Chicken Puttanesca

Two olives were on a table hanging out, and one fell on the floor.
The one on the table asked, "Are you ok?"
The one that fell said, "Ol-live."

Puttanesca...it sounds a lil dirty when you say it; what a silly word.  For those of you not familiar, puttanesca is a style of salty sauce usually containing: garlic, tomatoes, peppers, capers, olives, and anchovies.  Puttanesca, Pu-tta-nes-ca....it is just fun to say....

So, I was feelin' quite salty yesterday and Publix had some beautiful organic split chicken breast on sale.  We usually opt for the boneless skinless variety, but sometimes you just need crispy skin?! Am I right?  So much flavor!  I am not a fan of anchovies, so I skipped that ingredient, but feel free to add it to your Chicken Puttanesca.

We served ours up with a side salad and some mini shells, but spaghetti would be good....or crusty garlic bread to soak up sauce with? etc. etc. etc. etc.

Here's what you need (for two people, and leftovers!):
2 split chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 red onion, diced
2 vine tomatoes, diced
1 cup of chicken stock
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
6 oz of black olives, sliced
1-2 tablespoons of capers



Get out your chicken and salt and pepper the skin side.

Get out a pan.  I got a mini lecture about using tomatoes and cast iron (whoops), but it turned out ok....feel free to use another pan (if you want to avoid a mini lecture from your cast-iron-lover).

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and place the chicken in skin side down on medium-high heat.  Salt and pepper the other side of the chicken.  Let the chicken brown for 2-4 minutes (depending on thickness).

Flip over and let the other side brown for the same amount of time.

Once browned let rest while you get the sauce going in the same pan the chicken browned in (can't waste all that flavor!!!!).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Get out some garlic.

Smash, peel, smash, chop etc.etc. etc.

Grab a purdy purple onion.

Dice that sucker up.

Throw the garlic in and brown.

Add onion.

Add some butter...perhaps use a smaller pat than i did (whoops...or maybe not so whoops....wink wink, nudge nudge.....).  Salt and pepper everything.

Mix-er up and let'um brown.

Grab some tomatoes.

Dice and or chop up.

Add tomatoes to the pile.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock.

Add two tablespoons of tomato paste.

Mix together and reduce.

Drain a can of black olives (I had a 12oz can and then used half).

Yum, snack on one or two.

Slice'um.

Once sauce has reduced, add 6oz of sliced olives and 1-2 tablespoons of capers.

Stir, taste for salt and pepper.

Tuck chicken back in.

Cook in the 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until chicken if fully cooked (internal temperature should be 165).

Doners.  Yum.  Time to plate up.

So, I was ravenous for some reason and just dumped a bunch of food down.  It was still good.  Mini shell pasta underneath the chicken.  Side salad of mixed greens, carrot shavings, two beets and Italian dressing.

Some more pictures of the not so professional looking plate....