Cook Juicy, Flavorful Chicken by Marinating It in Olive Brine
Brine is a great way to season a bird. It adds flavor and can protect against moisture loss in protein, which is often at risk of dryness. Instead of relying solely on good old salt (which doesn’t provide much flavor other than, well, saltiness) or a set of ingredients that you need to grind and massage, try this one-ingredient marinade that has its own punch. Prepare juicy, well-seasoned chicken using only olive juice.
I was skeptical at first because while I love this stuff, I didn’t think the olive juice would be strong enough to flavor the chicken on its own. Brine juice is highly acidic, grassy, and salty, making it excellent for soaking chicken , but can olives do the same magic? Despite my doubts, I marinated a few chicken thighs in jalapeño-stuffed olive brine overnight and then pan-fried them with a little oil. No salt, no additional seasonings. I am ashamed that I have always doubted my precious olive juice. The chicken thighs weren’t overly strong or waterlogged, but came out juicy, plump and slightly salty. I even smelled a hint of jalapeno.
You can stop there and just load the trimmed chicken pieces into a deep bowl and pour as much olive juice over them as you can to marinate them overnight. (Turn them over from time to time if they’re sitting in a shallow pool of brine.) You can shake off the excess liquid and fry them in a little butter, or bake them the way you would normally roast chicken. You will be rewarded with tender, delicious chicken. Or you can go even further and use this seasoned meat to make a chicken roll stuffed with olives and cheese.
Start by mashing or pounding two chicken breasts or large thighs into flat pieces, this will allow you to roll them up later and fit more cheese inside. Marinate chicken in olive juice overnight or up to 12 hours. In a small bowl, combine four tablespoons room temperature cream cheese, 1/4 cup chopped olives, and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Heat up a frying pan with a dollop of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Shake off excess brine and place chicken pieces flat.
Divide the cheese mixture between two chicken pieces, covering about three-quarters of the surface, leaving a cheese-free border at one end. Roll up the chicken pieces like a cinnamon roll, starting at the cheesiest side and ending at the empty edge. I used chicken thighs so they were quite small, but I used kitchen twine to make a lazy knot. ( Here’s how to properly tie a roll.) You can also use a long skewer and pierce the roll to hold it together while frying. Place the mini rolls in the hot skillet and brown on all sides. Cover the skillet during the first half of the frying so that the center is browned. Remove the lid for the last half to make it crispy.
The speckled cheese filling with olives will partially flow out of the roll and cook in a pan. Resist the urge to fix it or scoop it up. The cheese will fry at the bottom and turn into a freaking fabulous frico. It tastes like a crispy cheese stick with olives. Serve this savory set with a crispy fresh salad and maybe a handful of olives.
Chicken rolls with olive oil
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts or thighs, mashed (or buttered) and marinated overnight in olive juice
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup grated cheddar
- ¼ cup chopped olives
- 1 or 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar and chopped olives. Shake off excess olive brine and lay the chicken on a flat surface. Divide the cheese mixture between two pieces of chicken, leaving a half-inch edge at one end. This will be the seam where your roll ends.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter and olive oil. Roll up two pieces of chicken, ending with a non-cheesy edge. Tie the rolls together or pierce them with two skewers so they don’t unroll in the pan. Fry them over medium heat until browned on all sides. Cover with a lid during the first half of the frying to cook through the chicken. Enjoy the side dish and of course lots of olives.