Marinate your chicken in olive brine
And don't sleep on the leeks
When I started this newsletter, I wasn’t sure how to make sense of the paywall. Asking people to pay for budget-friendly recipes doesn’t quite add up. Still, every time I—or any recipe developer for that matter—publishes a recipe, it shouldn’t be lost on readers that it costs money. This is fun work for sure, but it’s still work! So in order for me to keep sharing recipes here, it is incredibly important to have the support of paid subscribers. And it’s even more special when someone chooses to be a little more generous and become a founding member. To those wonderful folks, I offer an extra benefit: A custom recipe developed to a specific preference or situation. Say, “a vegetarian side that I can bring to a 12-person potluck;” “a no recipe/snacks-for-dinner sitch for date night;” “lunch I can stretch for 3 days and not get sick of.” Are you a current founding member who missed this benefit? Email me and we’ll get working on your custom recipe!
A new founding member recently joined the group (thanks, Don!). He shared the following brief for his recipe: “Dinner party. 6 people. I’ll make some fresh baguettes that day…Maybe something like this: baguettes, chickpeas, canelés with berries, and a main course suggested by you.” This is clearly not Don’s first dinner party! Since he had a lot of great starches planned, I suggested some ideas for a meat-forward main. We landed on the following recipe. Salty olive brine forms the base of a marinade (no need for the olives themselves if all you have is brine, but if you have some, toss ‘em in). And even though it’s roast chicken, the dish still feels springy thanks the leeks. PS: This is yet another recipe that’s really nice with a dollop of preserved lemon and chive green sauce.
Many thanks to FreshDirect for assisting with groceries! Their service has gotten me through countless recipes. Use code REBECCAFIRKSER50 for $50 off your first $99 order.
Olive Brine-Marinated Chicken with Leeks
Serves 4 to 6
Any sharp green olive brine will work here—it’s especially great with Quincy’s Spanish Queen olive brine, but Cerignola or Manzanilla brine are lovely (Castelvetrano brine tends to be a little more mild, but if you have it, use it.)
If you’d like more veg, add 1 bulb of thinly sliced fennel or ½ pound asparagus along with the leeks; or 1 (15-oz) can drained water- or oil-packed quartered artichokes nestled in after adding the chicken.
For really excellent potatoes to serve with the chicken instead of bread/rice, when the chicken is done, remove it and the leeks to a serving platter, leaving all the juices in the pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 400ºF. Add about 1 ½ pounds waxy potatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces if large) to the baking dish and toss to coat in the juices. Return to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 25 minutes.
Ingredients
3 pounds (about 6) whole chicken legs
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
½ cup green olive brine
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or freshly ground black pepper
2 large are 3 small leeks (2 to 2 ½ pounds), outer layer removed
1 cup pitted green olives (optional)
Crusty bread or cooked rice, for serving
Method
Place the chicken in a large bowl and season all over with the salt. Add the olive brine, oil, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Cover the bowl or transfer to a large zip-top bag. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or place in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
When you’re ready to bake, if the chicken has been in the fridge let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 375ºF with a rack in the center.
Trim the roots and 2 inches from the dark green tops off the leeks. Halve the leeks crosswise, then quarter lengthwise. Place the cut leeks in a bowl of cold water and swish around to remove grit, repeating as needed until the water runs clear.
Place the leeks in a 9x13-inch (or at least 3-quart) baking dish. Place the chicken over the leeks and scatter over the olives if using. Pour the marinade over everything
Roast for 45 minutes, until chicken is mostly cooked through and the juices are bubbling. Remove the pan from the oven and use a large spoon or baster to baste the chicken with its juices. Increase the oven heat to 425ºF. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is very tender (it should be cooked through/well above 165ºF at this point, but if you feel you must check, go for it!) Serve with bread or rice to soak up the juices.
Oooh I just got some Quincy’s olives, gonna need to try this!
It’s 5:30 am here in California, and I still say yes please!