Chef-designed chicken and olive oil recipes
When it comes to preparing chicken, we all have our favourite guilty pleasure go-to: chicken pies, baked chicken thighs, butter chicken or maybe adding chicken to a creamy carbonara in a cheeky adaptation of the Italian classic (shh don't tell Nonna).
Aussies are the biggest chicken consumers in the Western world, where research shows the average Australian eats 49kg of chicken per year (that’s twice as much chicken as beef and pork!).
As such a versatile ingredient and relatively affordable protein, it’s easy to see why chicken currently holds the crown for Australia’s favourite meat.
If you’re stuck in a rut and need some new ideas for your next chicken cook up, great news, five awesome Australian chefs have shared their twists on classic chicken dishes that we all know and love.
We think that our extra virgin olive oil and chicken are a match made in heaven, so here are our top chef-designed olive oil chicken recipes to try at home.
Olive oil braised chicken, truffle vinaigrette, spaghetti
Spaghetti but make it fancy – that’s what the chef and part-owner of Siffredi’s spaghetti bar, Ollie Hansford, has certainly achieved with this recipe. Not wanting to be pigeonholed as only serving up Italian food, Ollie likes to put an Australian or Asian spin on his plates of pasta.
Here he combines oyster mushrooms, braised chicken thighs, plenty of fresh herbs and a truffle vinaigrette to make this impressively irresistible spaghetti. ‘I chose this dish because it uses olive oil in both its cooked and natural form. The braising of the chicken in the Arbequina Olive Oil was because I wanted that floral, buttery richness to braise the chicken, and then the Frantoio Olive Oil for its fresh, crisp peppery notes [for the vinaigrette],’ Ollie explains. Foodies and adventurous eaters, this one is for you!
Pulled chicken and olive pie
Put down the puff pastry and say hello to the ultimate chicken and veg pie experience. Chef Jo Barrett lets us in on her secrets to create succulent pulled chicken and olive filling, homemade pie pastry and how to get that golden crust just right. For the filling, you’ll need to add chicken, capsicums, organic EVOO, green olives, garlic, onion, and herbs and spices to your baking dish. This flavour-filled pastry really packs a punch. It’s a recipe you’ll want to bookmark and keep coming back to every time you crave a warm, comforting and satisfying meal.
Roast chicken with olives, tomatoes and potatoes
Cook and baker extraordinaire, Cassandra Morris from Fig and Salt, shares her ingredients and technique for prepping the perfect roast chook. With only seven core ingredients and the use of a single roasting pan (woo, we’re all for less time doing dishes), this is a simple but scrumptious recipe to call on for your next Sunday roast. Just combine an organic whole chicken, baby potatoes, red onion, garlic, fresh lemon halves, vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, Mount Zero Mixed Olives and generous slurps of Frantoio olive oil in the roasting pan to nail your next roast dinner.
Mixed grain, poached chicken and broad bean salad
A sublime mix of crunch, citrus and savoury flavours, Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s healthy mixed grain, poached chicken and broad bean salad is a winner for lunch, dinner or a light snack. The best thing about it is Julia suggests you can easily substitute in your favourite grains or any you have already lying around in the pantry. So all you need to get your hands on at the shops is skinless chicken breasts, broad beans, mint, dill, parsley, Mount Zero Manzanilla olives, radishes and walnuts. Her vibrant lemony dressing, featuring Mount Zero’s moreish Verjus and EVOO, sets off all the fresh herbs and ingredients beautifully. The recipe serves six so can be great for hosting lunch or works well for meal prepping when you want to get ahead.
Nomad pastured chicken breast, star anise carrots, organic lentils, pumpkin seeds, ricotta salata
‘This is a really nice pasture-raised chicken, carrot and lentil dish for when you want to entertain. The carrots and lentils are a dish on their own,’ says chef Paul Baker from Chefs on Wheels. Crispy and golden caramelised chicken skin, butter and honey glazed carrots, and a stunning lentil salad mixing pecorino romano cheese, bean sprouts, pumpkin seeds and mint – every element of this recipe has our mouths watering. To top off all this deliciousness, Paul shares a dressing recipe using Lirah Cabernet vinegar or Mount Zero red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, EVOO and grapeseed oil to toss through your grain salad just before serving.
Amongst these five olive oil chicken recipes, there’s bound to be a new technique to learn and a unique flavour combination for both amateur and seasoned home cooks alike.
Hungry for more? From chocolate mousse to grilled octopus and potato pizza, there are loads of other fantastic chef-designed recipes waiting to be discovered on mountzeroolives.com.
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