Sarasota's Mediterranean Sauteed Chicken and Potatoes

Trust me ... It's not just chicken and potatoes. It has great Mediterranean flavors with olives, squash, mushrooms, capers, a mix of tomatoes, pine nuts and fingerling potatoes. This is a very easy dish, and spending a little more for good ingredients; i.e., olives, capers and pine nuts is worth this. It is so hearty, just serve with some sauteed or grilled endive or romaine and a simple vinaigrette and some bread for a quick dinner. Definitely not a hard meal to put together and definitely a very hearty dinner.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless skinless, you could use chicken breasts if you prefer or a mix of both)
• 1 1⁄2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced (not too thin)
• 6  fingerling potatoes, skin on (cut each into 4 wedges)
• 1 1⁄2 cups  summer squash (sliced on an angle)
• 2  cups chicken broth
• 1⁄2 cup white wine
• 1  cup  pitted kalamata olive, whole (black olives will work too)
• 4  large plum tomatoes (seeded and chopped fine)
• 1 1⁄2 cups yellow tomatoes, cut in half (I like to use the teardrop or pear tomatoes, but if you can't find them use just a any grape tomato)
• 1  large shallot, thin sliced
• 3  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 1  tablespoon capers (I use the larger ones, but either will work)
• 3  tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)
• 3  tablespoons fresh parsley, fine shopped
•  salt
•  pepper
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 3  tablespoons olive oil (another teaspoon or so may be needed, just keep it on hand)

Directions

1. Pine Nuts -- Before you make the chicken, I toast the pine nuts right on the stove in a dry sauce pan. It only takes a minute or two on medium heat. Use the same pan you plan to make the chicken in so you only dirty one pan. Just set to the side.
2. Chicken -- Bring the chicken to room temperature and season well with salt and pepper. Then in the pan you cooked the nuts in (a large saute pan), add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter and bring to medium heat. Cook the chicken on each side, 5-7 minutes until golden brown and done to 160 internal temperature. Don't over cook, they will continue to cook in the oven - the thighs don't take too long. Once done, I like to transfer to a small oven safe dish lined with parchment or foil for easy clean up and cover and set the oven on 300, just to keep warm. The rest doesn't take any time to make.
3. Vegetables -- Make sure to everything ready because this doesn't take long.
4. Now, after you have removed the chicken to the oven, return the same pan to the stove top on medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and butter along with the potatoes and cook on medium heat until they start to get tender, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Then add in the mushrooms, squash, shallots and garlic and cook another 5 minutes on medium heat. If necessary, you can add a bit more olive oil if needed. Mushrooms can soak up a lot of oil.
6. Liquid -- Add the wine to the pan to deglaze and let it reduce just a minute. Add in the broth and bring to a boil. Cook another minute and reduce to medium and cook another 4-5 minutes until the broth begins to reduce.
7. Add in the olives, chopped tomatoes, capers, and check for salt and pepper. Then cook another 4-5 minutes until some of the liquid has reduced and the tomatoes begin to cook down.
8. Chicken -- Remove the chicken from the oven and slice in bite size pieces and add it back to the stove top pan with the all the vegetables. Add in the parsley and once again, check for seasoning, and cook just until heated through.
9. Serving -- Serve right out of the pan topped with the toasted pine nuts. Serve with couscous and a big salad. ENJOY!