Mains
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[Photograph: @sstiavetti]

Note: This dish is versatile and keeps very well, so you can prepare it with the night before you want to serve it and it will taste just as good as—if not better than—when it was fresh. You can also prepare the ingredients the night before and then cook it in a slow cooker while you're at work.

About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in San Francisco. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. She also publishes a monthly culinary newsletter full of stories, review, and helpful tips. Stephanie's cookbook, Melt: the Art of Macaroni and Cheese, celebrates America's favorite dish by recreating it with specialty cheeses. Available for preorder now.

About This Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup black olives, rinsed, pitted, and sliced
  • 1/2 cup green olives, rinsed, pitted, and sliced
  • 1/4 cup capers, rinsed
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, roughly broken up by hand
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 stems fresh basil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves
  • Cooked rice for serving (optional)

Procedures

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until shimmering. Add chicken and cook without moving until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until lightly browned on remaining sides, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. Add onion to pot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add black olives, green olives, and capers, and cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, red wine, bay leaves, and basil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and season with pepper. Return chicken to pot and bring to a simmer.

  2. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until chicken is completely tender, about 2 hours. Remove lid and continue cooking for 15 minutes to lightly reduce cooking liquid. Discard basil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as desired. Stir in chopped parsley or basil, reserving some for garnish. Serve with rice, or cool and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.