Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Brining is an excellent way to season poultry. It imparts flavor and can safeguard against moisture loss in a protein that’s often at-risk for dryness. Instead of relying solely on good ol’ salt (which doesn’t provide much flavor besides, well, saltiness), or a bevy of ingredients that you need to chop and massage, try this single-ingredient marinade that packs its own panache. Make juicy, well-seasoned chicken, with nothing more than olive juice.
I was skeptical at first because, even though I love the stuff, I didn’t think olive juice would be strong enough to flavor chicken on its own. Pickle juice is powerfully acidic, herbaceous, and salty, making for an excellent chicken soak, but could olives pull off the same magic? Despite my doubts, I marinated some chicken thighs in the brine from my jalapeño stuffed olives overnight, then fried them in a pan with a touch of butter and oil. No salt, no additional seasonings. Shame on me for ever doubting my precious olive juice. The chicken thighs weren’t overpowering nor waterlogged, but came out succulent, plump, and subtly salty. I even tasted a hint of jalapeño.
You could stop there, and simply load your trimmed chicken parts into a deep bowl and cover them with as much olive juice as possible to marinate overnight. (Flip them occasionally if they’re sitting in a shallow pool of the brine.) You could shake off the excess liquid and fry them in a bit of butter and oil, or bake them however you usually bake chicken. You’d be rewarded with tender, delicious chicken. Or you could take things a step further, and use that seasoned meat to make an olive- and cheese-stuffed chicken roulade.
Start by butterflying or pounding out two chicken breasts or large thighs into flat pieces, this will allow you to roll them later, and fit more cheese inside. Marinate the chicken in olive juice overnight, or about 12 hours. In a small bowl, mix together four tablespoons of room-temperature cream cheese, a quarter of a cup of chopped olives, and a quarter cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Heat up your skillet with a pat of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Shake off the excess brine and lay the chicken pieces flat.
Split the cheese mixture between both pieces of chicken, covering about three quarters of the surface, leaving a cheese-less border on one end. Roll up the chicken pieces like you would roll a cinnamon bun, starting on the cheesiest side and finishing with the empty border. I used chicken thighs, so they were pretty small, but I used some kitchen twine to do a lazy truss. (Here’s how to properly truss a roulade.) You can also use a long skewer and stab through the roulade to hold it together while it fries. Pop the mini roulades into the hot pan and brown on all sides. Cover the pan during the first half of frying to ensure the center cooks through. Take the lid off for the final half so it crisps up.
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The olive speckled cheese filling will partially ooze out of the roll and cook in the pan. Resist the urge to correct this or scoop it up. The cheese will fry crispy on the bottom into freakin’ fabulous frico. It tastes like an olive-studded, crunchy cheese stick. Serve this savory bundle with a crisp, fresh salad, and maybe a handful of olives.
Olive-brined Chicken Roulades
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts or thighs, pounded (or butterflied) and brined overnight in olive juice 4 tablespoons cream cheese, softened¼ cup shredded cheddar¼ cup chopped olives1 or 2 teaspoons butter1 tablespoon of olive oilIn a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, cheddar, and chopped olives. Shake off the excess olive brine and lay the chicken out flat. Split the cheese mixture between the two pieces of chicken, leaving a half-inch border on one end. This will be the seam, and where your roll will end.
Heat a skillet over medium-low, and add the butter and olive oil. Roll up the two chicken pieces, ending with the border that has no cheese filling. Truss the roulades or put two skewers through each one to keep them from unfolding in the pan. Fry them over medium heat to brown all sides. Cover with a lid during the first half of frying to ensure the chicken cooks through. Enjoy with a side salad, and more olives, of course.
