Make Ahead

Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish with Lemons, Onions & Olives

by:
February  9, 2011
3.3
14 Ratings
Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish with Lemons, Onions & Olives
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

This recipe was inspired by a GOOP newsletter. So shoot me; it's good! The original called for lemons sliced paper thin and eaten whole - I find that eating lemon rind gets old quickly, but the quarters give it just as much flavor. - MeghanVK —MeghanVK

Test Kitchen Notes

It was the attention to detail in MeghanVK's cleverly adapted recipe that won us over: the blend of pecorino, flour and smoked paprika used to coat the chicken that renders it shaggy and crisp when browned, the inclusion of both lemon zest and quartered lemons, a dash of cinnamon to lend toasty warmth. And lots of other Spanish flavors are there to join the party: garlic, onion, paprika, fennel, green olives, tomato, white wine. We found that the tenor of the smoky, tangy sauce depended on the quality of the lemons; if your lemons have a thick pith, you'll want to just zest them and squeeze in their juice to avoid a bitter sauce. - A&M —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into parts
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 cup grated pecorino
  • 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 medium lemons
  • 2 large yellow onions, sliced
  • 1 large fennel bulb, halved and sliced
  • 12 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3/4 cup pitted green olives
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine 1/2 cup of the flour, pecorino and 1 teaspoon of the smoked paprika in a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot (a big Dutch oven, perhaps?) over medium-high heat. Dry the chicken parts thoroughly with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour and then place in your pot in batches. Allow the chicken to thoroughly brown, about 5 minutes per side. Don't crowd the pan! Remove the chicken to a plate and repeat until all of your chicken pieces are golden and crispy-looking.
  2. Quarter the lemons, but zest one of them first; reserve the zest. (If your lemons have a thick pith, you'll want to zest all 3 and then juice them, discarding the pith; this will help you avoid a bitter sauce.) Add the onion, quartered lemons (or zest of 2 lemons and the juice of all 3), fennel, garlic, green olives, the remaining 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, and cinnamon to the pot; cook until softened, golden, and overall mushy-looking, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt. Sprinkle the mixture with the remaining tablespoon of flour and stir over the heat for two minutes. Add the tomatoes and the wine and bring to a boil -- let bubble away for a minute or two. Add the lemon zest.
  3. Place the chicken pieces back into the pot, skin side up, along with any drippings from the plate. Poke the onion/fennel/garlic/olive mixture so it surrounds the chicken on all sides. Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  4. Garnish with cilantro. Serve warm. Delicious!
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97 Reviews

bas26
bas26 March 3, 2016
I sliced the lemons instead of quartering them and found no bitterness at all. This is still one of my favorites.
 
Daniel A.
Daniel A. March 2, 2016
Followed directions to a "T". Something isn't right, way too bitter. I think the lemons did it.
 
mstv
mstv March 1, 2015
This recipe did not work for me at all. I used thin skinned Meyer lemons and the sauce was overwhelmingly bitter. Even ignoring the bitter component of the flavor - I did not enjoy this one otherwise.
 
Jacob H.
Jacob H. February 20, 2015
Liked it a lot, though it was too lemony for my taste ....
 
krystine
krystine January 8, 2015
I made this last night for dinner, it was ok. the chicken was perfect but the veggie/sauce didn't wow me. I would add more paprika next time and less lemon juice.
 
Christina E.
Christina E. September 25, 2014
I am not usually impressed by chicken dishes nor have I ever successfully cooked juicy chicken (novice cook), so this was a big win for me! But my favorite part honestly was the delicious onion and fennel strips. YUM. I hope it reheats decently.
 
Emily P.
Emily P. September 24, 2014
Made this last night, stayed true to the recipe. It was fine. Expected more depth of flavor. The fennel was incredible, lemony and tangy and rich. Everything else, fine.
 
KateGS
KateGS April 22, 2014
I made this tonight and while I liked how moist the chicken was, the sauce was way too much. Too acid/tangy/tart. I had to add at least 3 TBS of sugar and even that wasn't enough. I am bummed, I was really looking forward to this.
 
Swiss M.
Swiss M. March 15, 2014
Yum! I had to make a few substitutions based on what I had in the house and it was still great. I used 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup water in place of the white wine (only had red on hand), and did not have cinnamon (just ran out!) or cilantro. The dish still came out very flavorful and delicious. The chicken is extremely moist and tender (I used pasture raised). Next time I won't make so much of the flour mixture, I had a ton left over after coating my chicken.
 
Mindy
Mindy March 14, 2014
I made it for the first time today and it turned out great! This is a very flavorful recipe and definitely one of those recipes that I'll turn to when needing an amazing one-pot recipe for friends or family. I did cut back on the lemon juice and lemon zest so I ended up using the juice of 2 lemons and the zest of 1 1/2 lemons. We had it over a bed of sliced red and purple potatoes and the vibrant colors with the cilantro made it for a pretty, delicious meal. Thanks!
 
Jack E.
Jack E. January 13, 2014
It was OK, I made it for my yoga class, I even have the same yellow pot, but every one was like, "this is not the time for warm food"--i was a little late for class but thought if I brought a warm pot of Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish with Lemons, Onions & Olives, it would make up for my lateness. you see, I am often late to yoga class because its on the east side and I am on the west side and there is no good bus near me. Anyway, I don't think i will be going back to that yoga class; the instructor was rude and all of the other students were kind of ungrateful-- not just in regards to Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish with Lemons, Onions & Olives, but one day i accidentally bought too much frozen yogurt at 16 handles (latterly just got the joke in the name #hilarious #duckie) and nobody wanted to finish it off, i was late again that day and ended up just having to throw the yogurt away.
 
Jack E.
Jack E. January 13, 2014
pft.
 
Heidi B.
Heidi B. December 8, 2013
So delicious! Made this last night for my poker group. Used vegetable stock (with 2 splashes of apple cider vinegar) in place of the wine; also used celery in place of fennel, as our grocery was out fennel. I meant to use fennel seeds in the dish but forgot! Still, a huge winner. Everyone was quite delighted.
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK December 8, 2013
Glad it worked for you! I'll have to try it with celery - sounds great.
 
Heidi B.
Heidi B. December 9, 2013
Meant to also report that I used a gluten-free flour (by Namaste) - worked just fine! So all you GF folk out there, have at it!
 
taco_cat
taco_cat November 3, 2013
I made this last night for company for the first time (risky, I know). It was fantastic! After reading the comments about potential bitterness I played it safe and just used the zest and juice from the lemons instead of quartering them -- it was still really yummy!
 
LauriL
LauriL January 15, 2014
I too, was a risk taker (not really when you use a proven winner!!)
Made this for guests last night and was received with great reviews! I actually agreed with the guests that it was a wonderful dish. I, like many other amateur cooks out there, find it hard to just accept a compliment. I always have to find something awry with my table offerings....this is the first time that I jumped on the "it's fantastic" band wagon!
 
Carol P.
Carol P. June 4, 2013
This is lovely. Instead of using quartered lemons, I used two lemons, sliced very thinly, plus the zest of one lemon, plus the juice of two lemons. When I added the flour to the vegetables, I was amazed at how the silky sauce suddenly manifested... Leftovers are sublime, even at room temperature: it thinks it's ratatouille.
 
Mikebny1
Mikebny1 February 26, 2013
Make sure that if you use quartered lemons that there really is almost no pith. I made it once and one of the lemons had what I would consider medium pith and it ruined the dish. Second time around the dish was really great.
 
Laurelb
Laurelb November 30, 2012
Made this last night. It was good but not great. I would use boneless chicken and add something to give it more punch. The first few bites were great but it lost its wow factor after that. Used olives with pimentos and would do that again.
 
Leslieswanson
Leslieswanson November 10, 2012
This is the most delicious chicken dish. The flavor is amazing. You must try it. I used all thighs to save a little at the grocer and it turned out perfect.
 
Amandadp
Amandadp September 9, 2012
I'm new to Food52 and this is the first recipe I've tried - I think it's fantastic! Sometimes I'm not a fan of cooked fennel but I really like it in this. Will definitely make this again!
 
redmaryt
redmaryt May 25, 2012
Made this a few months ago, it is the best chicken I've ever made and probably the best I've ever tasted! My friend and I couldn't believe how delicious it was. I cut back on the lemon zest just a bit.
 
cookinbklyn
cookinbklyn March 25, 2012
This was DEELICIOUS, but I'm calling my version " chicken that fancies itself spanish/provencal" . I wanted to minimize the sour flavor and didn't have a few items on hand. Here are my mods: 1. Zest and juice only of 2 medium Meyer lemons 2. Substituted chicken broth and vermouth in equal parts for the cup of white wine 3. Substituted celery instead of fennel. 4. Used thighs and legs only 5. Used Parmesan instead of Pecorino for coating 6. Chopped cilantro and parsley in equal parts 7. Used Picholine olives (with pits) 8. Added a bayleaf to the vegetables. Served this over rice pilaf and green peas on the side. If you don't have access to Meyer lemons, I might add a carrot or perhaps an orange to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes, lemons and white wine.
 
qtprof
qtprof March 18, 2012
Made this with preserved lemons--perfect!
 
susan206
susan206 March 14, 2012
I liked this, but didn't love it - too much acid. I wouldn't make it again. One thing I learned from a checken recipe from the wall street journal, is that I no longer brown the chicken. It is messy and takes too much time to clean up the stove afterwards. For this recipe I just stuck the chicken on top of the onions etc and it browned as it cooked. Way easier and the chicken itself was delicious.
 
Neal E.
Neal E. March 14, 2012
I cooked this recipe last week with mixed results. I found the technique very good: great coating on the chicken (I used thighs) and finishing it over the vegetables uncovered in the oven produced a pleasant, creamy texture for the vegetables while the chicken skin and coating remained crisp.

However, I found the flavors wildly out of balance. Even though I used small lemons -- zested one and quartered all three -- the flavor was way too strong and overwhelmed the dish. (This became even more pronounced with reheating.) Also, I love smoked pimenton, but could not detect it much by the time the dish was done. Perhaps more could be added or added later in the cooking. One must also be careful to not add too much cinnamon -- a very small pinch will do. I also feel that the fennel really didn't add much and seemed to lose its pungency after cooking as well.

I would cook this again, but cut way back on the lemon. I might also try using potato slices with all those lovely onions instead of the fennel. I think they would have time to cook perfectly in the oven and provide a more balanced base for all the pungent flavors provided by the lemon, olives, wine and tomatoes.
 
The E.
The E. March 5, 2012
Disaster! Wary of bitterness, I zested and juiced two lemons and only added one, in wedges, to the stew. Bitter, bitter, bitter. This is what happens when you make something new for dinner guests. The chicken was quite nice . . . I served it with a herby, chili couscous. But the vegetables were barely edible. I'll try again, but without adding any sliced lemons. Who knew?
 
bella S.
bella S. March 5, 2012
Meyer lemons are marvelous in this recipe!
 
chefpatty
chefpatty March 5, 2012
Would meyer lemons be good in this recipe?
 
culture_connoisseur
culture_connoisseur February 1, 2012
Delicious! I made this tonight and the house smelled amazing! I added mushrooms just because :)
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 10, 2012
I totally approve of the mushrooms :)
 
leah_shelton_pucciarelli
leah_shelton_pucciarelli January 31, 2012
Can you reccomend the type of olives preferred here? Thx!
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 10, 2012
I just use standard green olives - but I think any kind of green olive would be fine (picholines, cerignolas). Kalamata olives might work but the flavor would definitely be different.
 
Judy A.
Judy A. January 28, 2012
Just made this and I have to say it was extremely easy and all my guests loved it. Thanks so much.
 
ubs2007
ubs2007 January 22, 2012
WOW!!!!! Made this for a dinner party and everyone was in awe! Incredible combination of flavors! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 10, 2012
Aw yay! This many exclamation points makes me so happy :)
 
J E.
J E. December 21, 2011
Made this last week, and it was absolutely spectacular. I made it pretty much as written, and served with rice. Delicious!
 
bella S.
bella S. December 8, 2011
WOW!!! We made this two days ago and it was absolutely delicious. I used castellano olives, those odd-colored, large green olives. They worked really well. I left the pits in. I liked the rustic feel that it gave to the dish. We had the leftovers last night. I found that with each bite I kept saying, "OMG, this is amazing! OMG, this is delicious!" I couldn't stop saying that. I could eat it again right now. I won't be able to wait too long to make this again. By the way, I served this over very velvety mashed Yukon Gold potatoes. It was a perfect fit! Creamy, rich, flavorful bliss. Meghan VK, thank you so much for creating this! By the way, it went beautifully with a bottle of Spanish Verdelho. It just seemed right to stay in the neighborhood.
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 10, 2012
I'm so happy it worked for you! I like it with a rioja but I will have to look for a verdelho next time.
 
Bevi
Bevi December 7, 2011
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Instead of cutting up a whole chicken, I used organic skinless chicken breasts. Next time I will make sure to use a good Spanish olive or a Castelveltrano. Have you tried this dish with Seville oranges or a combination of lemons and Sevilles? i am curious about how that would taste. I love any dish that requires only one pot, and this was a perfect one pot wonder. Because my lemons had lots of pith, I only left in 3/4 of one lemon for the baking, and took them out for the second day of reheating. Thanks for giving me another option for chicken!
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 10, 2012
I think just Seville oranges would be a bit too bitter... but a combination with lemons could be really interesting. I'll have to try it sometime. My friend used Meyer lemons and said it turned out great, so I want to try that, too. In any case, glad the recipe worked for you!
 
shoesthatilike
shoesthatilike November 22, 2011
Made this for a dinner party on Friday night. HUGE hit. It was very easy to prep and only required one pot. I will make it again!
 
WileyP
WileyP October 21, 2011
This sounds just wonderful, MeghanVK, and hav added the appropriate ingredients to my shopping list for next week. Thanks so much!
 
DanU
DanU October 6, 2011
Yum! Made this the other night. Had the leftovers last night over rice with this radish & cucumber salad - http://www.food52.com/recipes/6592_radish_cucumber_salad
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK October 18, 2011
Glad you liked it!
 
J-Dizzle
J-Dizzle August 22, 2011
Congrats! This recipe sounds amazing.....looking forward to making it sooner than later! yummmmm......:o)
 
eatatvino
eatatvino July 17, 2011
One of my favorite recipes on Food52... absolutely love it :-)
 
Diane S.
Diane S. April 23, 2011
Megan,
This recipe sounds fabulous!!! ..and I'll be trying it this week.
Thanks in advance.
diane
 
Jamie B.
Jamie B. April 6, 2011
One more note! I used meyer lemon pulp and juice instead of the quartered lemons, and I thought the lemon-orange flavor from the meyer lemons was great! :)
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK April 6, 2011
I'll have to try it with the Meyer lemons myself - great idea! Glad you liked it.
 
Jamie B.
Jamie B. April 6, 2011
This was excellent, even enjoyed as leftovers! I loved the combo of flavors and the chicken was very tender. I served it with rice, which was a delicious pairing! I will definitely be making this again!
 
bas26
bas26 April 1, 2011
Made this last night...it really is amazing. The flavors are so wonderful and not too intense.
I'll be making this a regular in my repertoire. Can I make this without tomatoes? I am one of those people who get arthritis in my fingers when I eat tomatoes, and of course, I love them.
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK April 1, 2011
So glad you like it! You can definitely make it without the tomatoes - the original recipe that I adapted actually didn't call for them :) I would probably up the wine or add a bit of broth to make up for the lost moisture.
 
Rzbbzr
Rzbbzr March 16, 2011
I really enjoyed this recipe though next time I may use one less lemon (admittedly my lemons were pretty huge...might have worked better with smaller lemons.) Not to say that the lemoniness was bad...I just like a subtler flavors, I think. Also, I found that the reheat on day 2 compounded the intensity of the lemon even further. But overall, I was really happy with how it turned out! The chicken was perfectly cooked, skin crispy...and the sauce...lovely rich creamy texture.
 
eatatvino
eatatvino March 13, 2011
Made it last weekend and it was absolutely delicious! I foresee this recipe appearing frequently on my weekend menus in future :-)
 
Fresca
Fresca March 10, 2011
I've made this twice this week. I never make anything twice ever. That is how much we love this. Thanks! :)
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK March 11, 2011
So happy to hear it!
 
GSmodden
GSmodden March 2, 2011
Ugh. I just came home and realized I forgot to get the wine for this recipe. How critical is it to this dish? Can I still do this without it, replacing it with stock or water? Or should I make a second run and get the wine?
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK March 2, 2011
I hate when that happens! Just use stock - it will still be good. You could also add a splash of dry sherry or vermouth if you have them lying around.
 
GSmodden
GSmodden March 2, 2011
Thanks! I made it with stock. It was really, really delicious. Thanks for this recipe. I'll definitely be making this again.
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK March 3, 2011
So glad to hear it was a success!
 
TOfoodie
TOfoodie March 2, 2011
I made this last night and it was wonderful. What other vegetables would you recommend we add if we wanted to diversify it a bit? Thanks!
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK March 2, 2011
Great question - I think it would be delicious with leeks and/or celery, or thinly sliced carrot. I'm also thinking about incorporating squash to get through this never-ending winter - either cubes of it with all of the vegetables, or cooked spaghetti squash right before it goes into the oven.

You can also try using red wine instead of white in the sauce - very different flavor!
 
tasty
tasty March 1, 2011
Made this last night for dinner - only for 2, so used chicken thighs instead of whole - absolutely delicious.
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK March 1, 2011
Glad you liked it!
 
ChefJune
ChefJune February 25, 2011
I think I'm making this for Sunday dinner. I love the coating for the chicken. But I won't ruin it with a cilantro garnish...

Congrats on the win. ;)
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 25, 2011
I hope you like it! You could always save some of the fennel fronds and use that to gussy it up at the end - I love cilantro but I do get that it tastes a little like soap :)
 
The F.
The F. February 24, 2011
Just made it and ate it and now I'm suffering an incredible case of food coma. Thanks! It was awesome!
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 25, 2011
So glad you enjoyed it!
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin February 23, 2011
congratulations, Meghan!
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 23, 2011
Thank you! I feel a little nerdy for being so excited. Hope you enjoy.
 
Bevi
Bevi February 23, 2011
Congrats! I'm looking forward to making this.
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 23, 2011
I hope you do - enjoy!
 
gingerroot
gingerroot February 23, 2011
Congratulations! Looking forward to trying this.
 
drbabs
drbabs February 23, 2011
Congratulations!
 
FrancesRen
FrancesRen February 23, 2011
Saved in my recipes. Can't wait to make it.
 
Wicko
Wicko February 22, 2011
Quick question: do I throw in the whole garlic cloves, crush 'em or chop 'em?
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 22, 2011
Just peel and leave 'em whole - they'll get very soft during the cooking process. Hope that helps!
 
roseinparis
roseinparis February 21, 2011
Congratulations!
 
OBN
OBN February 21, 2011
Im trying this tonight!!!! Awesome!!!!!!
 
joshenk
joshenk February 19, 2011
Yummers!!!
 
MikeeLikesIt
MikeeLikesIt February 19, 2011
Trying it tonight--can't wait!!
 
Melkaminski
Melkaminski February 17, 2011
This makes my mouth water :)
 
healthierkitchen
healthierkitchen February 17, 2011
MeghanVK - I'm surprised I didn't see this when you submitted it, as this sounds seriously amazing and right up my alley. Your other recipes sound great too! Best of luck!
 
Midge
Midge February 17, 2011
Sounds amazing and what a great name! Congrats.
 
jmorrissey
jmorrissey February 17, 2011
congrats to one of my favorite chefs! can't wait to make it.
 
Annie.Bart
Annie.Bart February 17, 2011
Sounds awesome, but I'm going to tweak it and make it with seitan instead of chicken. Excited to try it!
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 17, 2011
Thanks! Please let me know how that works - my mom's a vegetarian, so I'd love to be able to share the recipe with her if it works out well for you.
 
franbren
franbren February 17, 2011
this looks delish
 
cheese1227
cheese1227 February 17, 2011
Lovely looking chicken, even if it's got a skewed view of of its own origin! Congrats.
 
fiveandspice
fiveandspice February 17, 2011
Congrats on being a finalist! This looks super tasty!
 
Waverly
Waverly February 17, 2011
Your recipe sounds terrific. Congratulations on being a finalist!
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin February 17, 2011
Congrats MeghanVK! This sounds really great.
 
gingerroot
gingerroot February 17, 2011
Congrats on being a finalist! I bet this is amazing and can't wait to try it.
 
MeghanVK
MeghanVK February 17, 2011
Thank you! Let me know how it goes!
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour February 17, 2011
Congrats! This sounds really delicious.