Thyme-Roasted Chicken with Squash and Green Olives

Thyme-Roasted Chicken with Squash and Green Olives served with Brown Butter Green Beans and Mushrooms

Crisp-skinned chicken and butternut squash caught my eye as I was flipping through Cooking Club magazines with thyme in mind. I'd skimmed over it previously as the recipe reminded me of Chicken with Marinated Olives and Tomatoes. For some reason, the hot tomatoes in that recipe made me bypass this one. This time, I read through the ingredients and was immediately on the hook to give it a try.

Thyme-Roasted Chicken with Squash and Green Olives

adapted from Cooking Club of America

click to print

RUB
1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted, ground*
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp pepper

CHICKEN
1 (43-lb.) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 (1-oz.) pkg. fresh thyme sprigs (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb. butternut squash, chopped (scant 3/4 inch) (about 3 cups)
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 c cracked green olives

Combine all rub ingredients in small bowl.

Place half of the chicken in a large bowl or baking dish; sprinkle with half of the rub. Place second half of chicken pieces in bowl and sprinkle with remaining rub. Toss chicken to coat both sides of each each piece with rub. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 400°F. Oil large rimmed baking sheet. Spread thyme sprigs (branches and all) on baking sheet. Top with chicken; brush or spray with 1 tablespoon of oil.

I used what I had left of my thyme, certainly shy of a full ounce.

Combine salt, pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl; toss squash in oil. Arrange squash in single layer around chicken.

Bake 25 minutes; brush chicken with pan juices or additional oil. Nestle olives in squash around chicken.

Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink in center and squash is tender.

Remove and discard thyme sprigs; place chicken on platter. Gently toss squash and olives with pan juices; arrange around chicken.

*Toast fennel seeds in dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and light brown. Grind in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle.


This is a keeper! The chicken was thyme-flavored, tender, and juicy with a crispy skin blanket which caused me to consider eating half the bird in a single sitting. The sweet squash with salty green olives were perfect chicken companions. The only thing I'd consider doing in the future is using an entire 15-oz can of olives and more squash. I had to portion out the squash and olives to make sure I had enough to go with the remaining three servings.

As for the olives, the original recipe calls for cracked green olives. I don't even know what that means. I used medium green olives from a can. Wait, let me look it up in my Larousse Gastronomique:

'Cracked' green olives, called cachado, are pickled in brine seasoned with herbs and spices and are prepared exclusively in the valley of Les Baux in France; they do not keep well and are only available in the Midi.

Keep in mind this book was copyrighted in 1984 so maybe you can find them in specialty stores. Don't feel that you need to break your neck to get some.

The recipe says you'll get six servings out of this, but I don't see how. Bank on four, especially if you use a small chicken.

Cost:

• chicken: $5.46
• thyme: $0.99, swag 
• squash: $1.19
• olives: $2.49

Total: $10.13 or $2.53 for each of four servings.

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