Lemon Chicken with Olives

I very, very rarely eat or make chicken. When I cook it, I usually get so scared that it's undercooked that I overcook it, making it tough and chewy. I also never order it at restaurants because I think it's usually pretty boring. Why get the chicken when you can get the duck, the steak, or even just an inventive vegeterian dish!?

However, something about this recipe that was emailed to me from Real Simple piqued my interest. I love green olives, and I had a bunch of the ingredients already sitting at home. So it came about that I decided to actually cook myself chicken.

And you know what? This came out AWESOME. I would cook it again in a heartbeat. And the chicken cutlets, since they are so thin, cook fast and stay juicy. It tastes sort of like an updated version of chicken piccata, but without the heavy butter sauce. I highly recommend this if you're an olive fan! It's like a dirty martini in food form ;)

Lemon Chicken with Olives
Serves 4

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)

1. Mix the flour, cumin, zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on a flat plate. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and dredge in the flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

2. Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Heat the remaining oil. Add the shallots and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the olives, parsley, lemon juice, and wine and bring to a boil.

3. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it in the olives and shallots. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Divide among individual plates, spooning the olives, shallots, and any sauce over the top.