Name: Crispy Chicken Thighs With Puttanesca Green Beans
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp. dried oregano; 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling; 1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1 Tbsp. tomato paste; 12 ounces green beans, trimmed; 3 Tbsp. chicken stock, homemade or store-bought, or water; ¼ cup good tangy olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (use any kind you like, but Castelvetrano or kalamata are terrific); 1 Tbsp. brine-packed capers, drained; Handful of torn fresh parsley or cilantro leaves, for serving; Crushed red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Photo by Linda Xiao

Briny olives, sweet browned shallots, and a dollop of tomato paste turn a pot full of green beans into something rich, savory, and impossible to stop eating. Here, the beans are roasted underneath boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which crisp up in the oven, turning golden on top and soft underneath.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Dinner in One’ by Melissa Clark. Buy the full book on Amazon.

Cooks' Note

A bunch of broccolini or two sliced fennel bulbs can stand in for the green beans.

Recipe information

Total Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

12 ounces green beans, trimmed

3 Tbsp. chicken stock, homemade or store-bought, or water

¼ cup good tangy olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (use any kind you like, but Castelvetrano or kalamata are terrific)

1 Tbsp. brine-packed capers, drained

Handful of torn fresh parsley or cilantro leaves, for serving

Crushed red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 425ºF. Season the chicken all over with salt, black pepper, and the oregano.
Step 2
Heat a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil thins out and coats the bottom of the pot, add the chicken and sear until browned on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Step 3
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt and sauté until the shallot is tender and golden brown, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until it browns at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Step 4
Add the tomato paste and sauté until it darkens and caramelizes around the shallot and garlic pieces, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the green beans and cook, stirring and scraping up all the dark bits at the bottom of the pan, until the beans get more vibrant in color and start to lighten in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the stock, olives, and capers, again stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot. Put the chicken on top of the beans, pouring in any juices from the plate, and drizzle with a little more oil. Roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the beans are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Step 5
Transfer the chicken onto plates. Give the green beans a good toss in all the yummy pan juices at the bottom of the Dutch oven and pile them on top of the chicken. Sprinkle with the herbs and red pepper flakes, if you like.

Cookbook cover of Dinner in One by Melissa Clark.

Reprinted from Dinner in One. Copyright © 2022 by Melissa Clark. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Linda Xiao. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House. Buy the full book from Bookshop, Penguin Random House, or Amazon.