For 2:

• chicken joints, say 2 thighs & 2 drumsticks or for those with big appetites 2 legs & 2 breasts - & note this is best WITH the skins.
• dob of butter, preferably clarified, or mix of butter & chicken fat or oil
• half pint or so of chicken stock (or use compliant veg stock powder or water saved from veg cooking or whatever you have that doesn't taste disgusting or overpowering)
• big pinch dried thyme or few good sprigs of fresh
• a lemon (must be unwaxed) sliced into thinnish slices with the skin still on
• green olives, pref pitted, about 6-10 per person according to taste.

Add all the other ingredients. Bring to boil & turn down to simmer. Put lid on. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked. Take off lid, render down sauce if necessary to make thick & ensure lemon skin is cooked.

Serve with kamut cous-cous or else millet or rice. Green beans go nicely.

Recipe note: this was originally Nigel Slater's chicken with orange & black olives & I have to admit, nice as the compliant version is, the original is even nicer.

I often make the lemon version for my husband & son after work as it is very easy & requires little thought or skill. It is also good for guests if you are busy as it takes almost no planning or effort yet seems a bit special.

Can you get a fruit called a kumquat there? I only recently discovered these and how WONDERFUL they are! They taste like a unique, delicious type of orange, yet they are NEUTRAL, GLORIOUS NEUTRAL! If you could get kumquats, and then slice them up in there, you might have something very similar in taste to using the oranges. However, kumquats have a LOT of seeds, a surprising amount, really, for such a tiny fruit (each kumquat is about two bites big). You would have to meticulously remove the seeds from each tiny "slice". It would be a tad on the labor-intensive side, but really might end up being a taste thrill and quite exotic when you tell your family and/or guests that they are eating "Easy peasy kumquat chicken"!

"Kumquat History Interesting Facts

The kumquat is a sweet/sour fruit and is a member of the citrus family. The majority of Kumquats in the United States are grown in St. Joseph, Florida.

The kumquat is a delicacy whether eaten fresh or preserved. With a thick sweet peel and a tart pulp, it is eaten skin and all. (Except for the seeds)

It is also a favorite for jellies, marmalade and crystallizing. Its unique flavor lends itself as a pleasant addition to many dishes, desserts and salads.

The Dade City area and Kumquat Growers, Inc are the nations largest producer and shipper of Kumquats!! While Kumquat Growers is Only 30 Years old, Our Families have been growing
and packing kumquats since 1895.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size - 5 medium kumquats

Calories 60
Protein trace
Carbohydrates . .1 5 gram
Fat . trace
Fiber trace
Sodium 0
Potassium 185mg
Vitamin A 285iu
Vitamin C 35mc

HOW ARE KUMQUATS USED?

How good is your imagination? They can be used in as many ways as your imagination will allow! Fresh, decorations, desserts, cooking - Favoring other foods and are particularly pleasing when cooked with chicken, pork or fish. Kumquats are the best when they are fully ripe from December 15th until April 15th"

I think the nutrition facts are awesome: Very high in potassium and vitamin A. I found to my delight that these little things taste truly wonderful. Don't have a clue where I could buy them, though, as the ones I had were schlepped into work by a co-worker from her garden. She said the tree had so many that she just had to give some away, and she came in with tons of them. Well, no one else really was interested (this is more of a chocolate cake type office *LOL*), so every time I walked by, I would grab fistfuls of the heavenly things. I ended up taking a bunch home, too. Maaaaahvelous. This was months ago, must have been February, because when I went on line to look into kumquats, I found the site I linked, and a co-worker and I were bummed that we had JUST missed that Kumquat Festival in Dade City, FL (held in January 2003)! We are planning on going in 2004, for SURE!

[ 08-11-2003: Message edited by: Peppermint Twist, O+ non ]

Btw, you said:

quote:

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Originally posted by Peppermint Twist, O+ non:
Don't have a clue where I could buy them, though, as the ones I had were schlepped into work by a co-worker from her garden. She said the tree had so many that she just had to give some away, and she came in with tons of them.

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You could try chinatown. I first came across these in Hong Kong where they were considered a symbolically lucky fruit representing gold coins. People keep them in pots in theirr hallways, especially at Chinese new year.

In UK I have ever got mine in specially good HFS or in my farm box that I used to get, but only ever seen or had them about once a year.

[ 08-11-2003: Message edited by: Sarah Blakeney ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Sarah Blakeney:
...the orangy taste goes best with the forbidden black olives, not green, which go better with the lemony taste. as a nonny you'd have to find some non-olive sub that gave similar saltiness & mmmm-ness.[ 08-11-2003: Message edited by: Sarah Blakeney ]

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True confession: I am not so compliant that I would avoid olives (IMPORTANT ADDENDUM: SEE FOLLOW-UP P.S. AFTER READING THIS). I believe it is considered a mold issue and since I don't seem to have probs with molds, I think I would live on the edge rather than give up olives! The things are wonderful and afterall I consume olive oil all the time (I know, I know, often in the BTD different items from the same food source have diff ratings: Witness blackberries, an O avoid, but as I found out years ago when Dr. D. was kind enough to respond to a post of mine on the old board, blackberry LEAVES, which are in one of my favorite teas, are a-okay). As a general rule, I personally don't tend to avoid any of the things the BTD tells me to avoid that are a mold issue. I'm more of a lectin gal, myself!

So, let's see then: If I use kumquats, I should use black olives for the best flav combo, but if I use lemons (which I probably will, as they are far easier to come by), I should go with green olives, huh? If anyone, btw, DID want a compliant and actually beneficial alternative to the olives, I'll bet fresh artichoke hearts, steamed, boiled, or baked in the "flower" and then marinated in a homemade, compliant marinade concoction overnight would add a similar texture and concentrated flav.

Kirk out!

[ 08-12-2003: Message edited by: Peppermint Twist, O+ non ]

That Typebase3 is a handy-dandy thaaang.

Everything you always wanted to know about olives but were afraid to ask.

[ 08-12-2003: Message edited by: Peppermint Twist, O+ non ]