Chicken Casserole Recipe

Today's recipe is for a classic Mediterranean-inspired dish. A casserole of chicken in a vegetable base flavoured with lemon juice and parsley that's served with olives. Easy to make, but extremely tasty.

Chicken Casserole

Serves: 4
A classic Mediterranean-inspired casserole that is easy and cheap to make, but warming and filling as an end product.

Ingredients:

1 chicken (about 1.6kg [3 1/2 lbs]), jointed
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 carrots, scraped and sliced
1 celery stick, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
300ml (1 1/4 cups) hot water
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
12 black or green olives
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a wide, flame-proof casserole (a cocotte is ideal), add the chicken pieces and fry to brown all over. Remove with tongs and set aside.

Add the shallots, carrots and celery to the oil remaining in the casserole dish and fry for a few minutes then stir in the garlic. As soon as the garlic becomes aromatic (about 20 seconds) return the chicken pieces to the pan and pour over the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, and cook for a few minutes then add the eater and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Cover the casserole dish and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mark 4) and cook for 1 hour. During this time turn the chicken pieces over every 20 minutes or so.

After this time, remove the casserole from the oven and stir in the parsley and olives. Cover the casserole once more, return to the oven and cook for 30 minutes more.

Serve immediately, accompanied by rice.

For hundreds more chicken-based recipes, please visit the Celtnet Chicken recipe and cookery page.