James Beard’s Farmer’s Chicken
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 3½ to 4pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or a combination of thighs and drumsticks)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 1yellow or white onion, minced
- 1red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1tablespoon dried oregano
- 1tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1cup dry white wine
- 2cups chicken stock
- 1cup mild green olives, such as manzanilla or Castelvetrano, pitted
- ½cup dried currants or raisins
- 1tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
- ⅓cup minced fresh parsley
- ½cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)
- Cooked rice or orzo, or garlic-rubbed toast
For the Stew
For Serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
861 calories; 57 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 53 grams protein; 1151 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Pat chicken pieces dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Step 2
In a wide skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, brown the chicken, rotating as needed, until the skin is golden and releases easily from the pan, at least 5 minutes per side. Adjust the heat to avoid scorching. As the pieces are browned, transfer them to a plate.
- Step 3
Once all the chicken is browned, add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oregano and paprika.
- Step 4
Add the wine and simmer, stirring up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the pan is almost dry, about 5 minutes.
- Step 5
Stir in stock, olives and currants, and bring to a simmer. Carefully return the chicken pieces to the pan. Cover and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, stir and let simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and the liquid reduces slightly, about 15 minutes. (The sauce will be quite loose.) Taste the sauce for salt and pepper. (Recipe can be made up to this point and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- Step 6
When ready to serve, heat through and stir in lemon zest and juice. Divide among shallow bowls and sprinkle with parsley and almonds (if using). Serve with rice, orzo or toast.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mary Ann Grant
I met James Beard once, in Seaside, Oregon. He stopped in at the small delicatessen there. My wonderful boss, and owner, Ken, introduced us and asked if I had questions for the maestro. I asked about keeping cheese. He was so kind, so accommodating. That was 1980-81. His advice? Wrap cheese tightly, as air diminishes the flavor and texture. I thought it amusing he preferred a prepared coleslaw we served, and asked for seconds with his lunch sandwich. A lovely man.
Blaine
I prepared this last night and the result was beautiful and delicious. I will absolutely make it again. However, anybody who can cook this well within the prescribed one hour deserves a James Beard Award. I browned the chicken in two batches and ultimately needed 75+ minutes on the stove. Unless you're cooking on a volcano those reduction times are optimistic.
KenInBerkeley
Second the comment on the time to prepare this dish. On the other hand, once the wine is opened.,.
vsproctor
brown the chicken in a pan side by side to the other ingredients. yes, 2 pans to wash, but you can get dinner on the table much quicker this way. and add a little of the chicken oil to the main saute pan. well worth the trouble to get to a delicious meal sooner.
Bonnie
Followed the recipe exactly using mostly bone-in thighs and a couple of legs. Give yourself time because this is not a quick dish. But it was well worth it. The sauce is delicious, and with 1 tablespoon of paprika, it had a little zing to it. It is a keeper and will make a great company dish once we get back to the real world of company and entertaining.
NotMyRealName
I used to get James Beard and Burl Ives mixed up, so I was humming as I cooked. This is a less-zingy version of Chicken Marbella. I prefer the flavor of the zingier one, but that one does have prunes, which can be risky. So I’ll keep both recipes. Thanks Burl.
DLL
This is a really great dish. Made it because my hubby thought it looked good. It is good. The combo of currants and olives make this a savory but slightly sweet Moroccan style dish. The added parsley and almond gremolata is a nice touch- do not leave that out. Served it with orzo. Will make this again and again.
anne
Did Spanish Farmer’s Chicken inspire Chicken Marbella?
Wendy
So... I did this with tiny modifications. 1. I added chopped garlic... 2. i was going to skip the currants entirely because I don't like them... but when I tried the sauce (which was great) I get that it needed a little sweet to give it depth- so I improvised with cranberries... it was SO lovely!
Julie
We used apricot instead of currants or raisins because that’s what we had on hand and it was delicious
BerlyJ
This is a lovely, flavorful entree. It is classic comfort food when served with mash potatoes and a colorful roasted vegetable. I've made it twice (in my moms old '70s' electric skillet) and the results were clean plates and no leftovers. And it is an easy dish for weeknights and guests. Enjoy a glass of wine while it cooks alongside the veggies---- or use the time to bake a light lemon pudding cake for dessert.
Aaron Arnold SF
A superb and hearty comfort dish that is even better the next day after a night in the fridge. The cooking times in the recipe seem rather…ambitious. Don’t be afraid to go lower and slower at the end. And that lemon zest at the end really provides a nice pop as counterbalance to the substantial earthiness of the rest of the dish. Nice!
Joyce Newman
I made this with only the slightest changes: used a broth made from corncobs and chicken base and added some corn to the total. It was splendid, tasted very interesting and subtle and was really easy and fast to put together. I allowed the thighs to come to room temperature before I cooked them and used the times mentioned. I held the dish several hours in the frig before I rewarmed and served it. The meat was perfectly cooked.
Mike
We’ve made this dish twice now and the flavors are delightful! The only thing I altered was that I crisped the chicken skin under the broiler for a few minutes after cooking. It’s such a shame to take all that time to fry crispy chicken skin and then dunk it in sauce to get soggy. Other than that, it’s a perfect dish! So bright and flavorful. Can’t wait to make it for company!
Paul
Instead of stirring in the oregano and paprika before the wine, I put it in after alongside the stock, raisins, and olives. The taste was much stronger that way.
jim
Don’t reduce sauce too much - lots of sauce is the star
Rahul
This was alright. It had good flavor - I followed the recipe exactly because of the unusual combination (although I substituted craisins for raisins). I think this would work really well for a dinner party but I am dreading eating the leftovers (it just wasn't good enough to eat more than once but this recipe makes SO MUCH). I also think this recipe might have turned me off chicken thighs for a while.
Skip M. DC
I love vintage recipes with a story attached to them. Because the ingredients all seem counter-intuitive (oregano, paprika, and raisins), I followed the recipe exactly, and measured everything exactly. It turned out as it was supposed to, I hope. The sauce was rich, flavorful, balanced. For the last covered simmer, I added about a cup and a half of carrots sliced on the diagonal to make this a one dish meal. A wonderful dish worthy of serving for company or a simple Sunday supper.
mary
The original recipe almost certainly called for a whole chicken, cut up. The current fad for using chicken thighs robs a dish of the delight of white meat, preferred by many, and the balance nature provides in a while bird.
Thomas Welch
Use a bigger pot like a 5 quart dutch oven. I made a recipe and a half and chose too small of a skillet and had several boil-overs which forced me to change pots midway through cooking.
Dawn
Delicious, even though I substituted red wine for white. Who runs out of white wine???
rca
Amazing in a slow cooker. Not so impressive on a skillet
Don Kline
Easy to make and delicious to eat. What more is there?
Ember
Some in my family get paprika hiccups, so I substituted with Aleppo Pepper, which worked beautifully. Family didn’t want to wait for full reduction, so I settled for a soupy dish and added more fresh lemon juice to bring out the flavors. Still so, so good. It’s on the keeper list.
danielle
This was delicious! I slightly thickened the sauce at the end which made it even better. Served with rice and a side of roasted carrots. Easy and family favorite!
tim
Not sure what all the hype is about for this one. Made this for the family tonight and it was a swing and a miss. No one liked it. Ended up reheating leftover pizza instead. Way too sweet, flavors not interesting at all. One of the worst things we’ve made in a while. Typically we love NYT recipes, this one not so much.
Patricia White Watson
Which farmers, I ask. Certainly not American, but its absolutely delicious and worth the timer.
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