Skillet Chicken and Olive Pesto Sauce Bake

By: Ramonas Cuisine from ramonascuisine.com

By: Ramonas Cuisine from ramonascuisine.com

"This one pot chicken and olive pesto sauce bake is a simple dish that can please your family or friends any time of the year, especially good for a nice friends gathering. Any meat cut … would do in this chicken dish, like beef, pork, lamb, chicken breast, turkey or even some nice meatballs or fish fillets. This one pot chicken and olive pesto sauce bake is made in a skillet, it takes very little to prepare and it's utterly delicious. "

NotesLong peppers
It’s a nice ingredient to use particularly paired with turmeric as it helps with absorption of the goodness but regular black pepper will be as good and beneficial.
I didn’t think of taking a picture of it before making it powder but will do next time and upload it. It’s a weird looking pepper I must admit but I love its flavour. Look it up, it’s worth it.
Also, try with the or Szechuan or Sichuan pepper for a nice flavour.
Potatoes
If these are smaller in size you can cook together with the chicken in the oven but if these are medium to larger size, either cut them into chunks or wedges.
If you (like me) wish to have whole potatoes, parboil them, I do love whole potatoes in a dish like this.
Chicken
I always trim the chicken of any extra fatty skin ends and visible fat as legs can have quite a it of it. All that extra skin tucked under I do cut it and discard of.
Serving Suggestion
Make it juicier to serve with couscous or rice. Delicious!

Click here for the recipe

Serves4

Preparation Time10 min

Cooking Time40 min

Cooking MethodOven

Ingredients

4 chicken legs full – skin on
400 g potatoes whole small, thoroughly washed
1 red pepper
3-4 tbsp olive pesto sauce I used Sacla No 18
1 tsp turmeric
1 pinch long peppers powder *
1 pinch red chili flakes
4 cloves garlic
6 tbsp parsley fresh and finely chopped
2 tbsp thyme fresh

Instructions

Preheat the oven at 190°C or 375°F.
Start by seasoning the chicken well on both sides and fry in a large skillet on both sides together with the potatoes. I keep skin on for both chicken and potatoes.
Cook the chicken for about 3-4 min on each side and toss the potatoes. Add the diced pepper and cook for an extra minute or two.
In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 pinch of long pepper powder, 1 pinch of red chilli flakes, the crushed and chopped garlic, 2/3 of the parsley, finely chopped, fresh thyme, the tomato paste , the 200 ml white wine
100 ml stock (chicken or vegetable), the pesto sauce and the salt. Mix well until the tomato paste has dissolved.
Add the liquid mixture to the chicken, stir a little and place this in a the preheated oven.
Bake for 40 minutes until the juices have reduced and the chicken has browned beautifully.
Serve with some nice crusty sourdough or rice.