Roast Chicken with Olives

There’s nothing more comforting to me than nibbling on a just-out-of-the-oven roasted chicken. Maybe it’s the aroma, but then, once it’s cut open, it’s the chicken’s juiciness that pleases me.

When I was in France recently, visiting Stéphane from the blog My French Heaven, he made my girlfriend and I a roasted chicken dish that I’m still dreaming about. It’s officially called Tangy Green Olive Chicken, and the recipe is on his blog here. It’s one of those simple peasant dishes that just screams with flavor. Because he’s already posted on this dish, but I wanted to make it myself.

Following are photos I took from when Stéphane made this chicken masterpiece.

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Because I don’t have the exact ingredients to create Stephane’s dish, I’m using it as inspiration to create my own version. I had no idea, for example, how challenging it would be to find green olives not stuffed with something!

I used a whole free-range chicken I purchased from D’Artagnon. Typically I purchase six at a time and they arrive frozen. They’re smaller than Stephane’s chicken and less fatty, but it’s the best I can get my hands on.

Before roasting, I preheated my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit on convection, and let the bird come to room temperature.

For something a little different, and for additional fat, I wrapped a piece of onion with bacon and stuffed that in the chicken’s cavity. All I could fine were pimiento-stuffed olives, so I drained them and added them to the chicken cavity along with the bacon-wrapped onion. I then created an herb bundle and stuffed it in as well.

I did my best to sew the cavity together (it’s good I’m not a surgeon!), placed it in a baking dish, and poured a generous amount of olive oil over the top. I included the neck from the bag of innards, but I could tell my husband kept visiting the kitchen to make sure nothing offal went into the dish. It was tempting, but needless to say, the dogs enjoyed the innards later for dinner.

I then added more olives to the baking dish, as well as some peeled garlic cloves.

The bird got roasted for 30 minutes, and then I turned it over and roasted it for 15 more minutes. Then I removed the bird to rest, after first emptying the cavity into the baking dish. Then I returned the baking dish to the oven and roasted the olive mixture for 10 minutes.

I removed the bacon, onion, and herbs from the olive mixture, and using a slotted spoon, placed the olives and garlic in a bowl. I cut up the chicken into pieces and coated them with the remaining goodness in the baking dish, and roasted the chicken for about 10 minutes, just for a little browning.

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The chicken pieces were placed in a bowl, followed by the olives, and then I turned the baking sheet over and poured all of the remaining oil and chicken juice over the chicken and olives.
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I served the chicken and olives with a simple salad of greens and parsley.

But that’s not the best part. Stéphane put some of the juicy, oily olives on bread, and I had to do the same. It was my favorite part of the whole meal!

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You can even smash them to make them more spreadable, if you wish. But I didn’t!

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verdict: Of course, food that someone else cooks is always better. Stéphane’s chicken and olives dish was superb, and I wish I could find a similar chicken and similar green olives. And honestly, I’m not sure the onion and bacon did much more than take up room in the chicken’s cavity. If I were to do it over, I’d omit those, and place a bunch of garlic cloves along with the olives and herbs in the cavity. The olives and garlic that roasted in the pan just became overly roasted. They were good, too, but would have been better inside the chicken. Overall, though, the dish is divine. Don’t forget to serve bread with it!

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

55 Comments

  1. My French Heaven June 22, 2015 at 8:24 AM - Reply

    These photos are absolutely incredible Mimi! The first one is a masterpiece of culinary photography! I made two of those yesterday for fathers’ day. It’s one of dad’s favorite dishes. It is also the subject of my first Youtube video that I’ll be posting any month now ;) Great post! Great job. Oh and the olives you chose seem very appropriate for the dish IMHO…

    • chef mimi June 22, 2015 at 9:55 AM - Reply

      Do you mean the top photo? hmmm thanks. I just wish I could have found Arbequin olives – they’re my favorite!

  2. Barbra & Jack Donachy June 22, 2015 at 8:25 AM - Reply

    Wow… We will try something like this in the near future. Excellent photos. Thanks for the dish. Now to scour Ulaanbaatar’s stores for good olives!

    • chef mimi June 22, 2015 at 9:53 AM - Reply

      I know that Stephane suggests Italian or Spanish olives, but I can’t get my hands on any!

      • Barbra & Jack Donachy June 22, 2015 at 9:56 AM

        We’re also going to be facing limited choices… so let the substitutions begin! We’ll let you know how it works out.

  3. Cecile June 22, 2015 at 8:38 AM - Reply

    Fabulous photos!! I’m so glad you included the ones from Stephane’s home. And I agree – there’s nothing quite like a lovely roasted chicken!! ; o )

    • chef mimi June 22, 2015 at 9:52 AM - Reply

      Or, a roasted chicken cooked by someone else!!!

  4. Jodi June 22, 2015 at 10:27 AM - Reply

    Oh sounds so good – you and Stephane are my HEROES in the kitchen! :)

  5. Lina June 22, 2015 at 10:59 AM - Reply

    Wow!!

  6. Conor Bofin June 22, 2015 at 11:22 AM - Reply

    Beautiful Mimi. Lovely photography as always.

  7. Mr Fitz June 22, 2015 at 11:29 AM - Reply

    Loving that

  8. ladyredspecs June 22, 2015 at 5:02 PM - Reply

    I’m salivating, a beautiful chicken carefully roasted is my all time favourite dinner! Love the idea of filling the cavity with olives, de-lish!! I’ll me making this after market day!

    • chef mimi June 22, 2015 at 9:19 PM - Reply

      I truly can’t describe well how fabulous this dish is!!!

  9. The Gourmet Gourmand June 22, 2015 at 5:33 PM - Reply

    Mimi I think you’ve outdone yourself- This chicken looks fabulous and the olives??? What a great idea! :) Love this!

  10. anotherfoodieblogger June 22, 2015 at 7:10 PM - Reply

    You got that right, roasted chicken by someone else always tastes better! Fantastic meal, I bet!

  11. An Artsy Appetite June 22, 2015 at 9:24 PM - Reply

    This chicken looks beyond fabulous, Mimi! Chicken is my favorite and I love olives..what a great combination this is! YUM.

    • chef mimi June 23, 2015 at 6:57 AM - Reply

      It is a great combination! The only thing similar that I’ve made is a Spanish chicken with rice and olives. But this recipe is so much better…

  12. Peter - The Roaming GastroGnome June 22, 2015 at 9:56 PM - Reply

    Great photos and that looks amazing! A well cooked chicken is sooooo good.

    • chef mimi June 23, 2015 at 6:59 AM - Reply

      Exactly. And all meat needs to be cooked properly. It’s taken me years to figure that out!!! The rest hardly matters!!! Overly roasted olives? Who cares!!!

  13. Abbe (@aodenwalder) June 22, 2015 at 10:02 PM - Reply

    I am now drooling and I just had dinner. Totally love this, especially using the bread with olives. I make a chicken marbella and the addition of bread would be killer. Thanks, Mimi! Fabulous.

    • chef mimi June 23, 2015 at 7:01 AM - Reply

      I LOVE a good roasted chicken, but the bread with the tasty olives was just heavenly!!

  14. lapetitepaniere June 22, 2015 at 11:13 PM - Reply

    This sounds like perfection, I need to try this. The pictures are beautiful! :)

  15. Laura @ Feast Wisely June 23, 2015 at 2:16 AM - Reply

    Wow love the use of olives in this recipe!!

  16. hotlyspiced June 23, 2015 at 10:39 PM - Reply

    This is a beautiful chicken dish and I agree, here’s no more comforting a dinner than roast chicken. I have never stuffed a chicken with so many olives and I’d like to try this – it looks amazing and how lovely to spend time in France xx

    • chef mimi June 24, 2015 at 11:02 AM - Reply

      Thank you! I’ve finally convinced my husband to go with me!!! We haven’t been together for 13 years!

  17. Bam's Kitchen June 24, 2015 at 4:44 AM - Reply

    Mimi this recipe is brilliant! Love your idea of stuffing the chicken with herbs and olives I am sure it makes it taste out of this world. Then drizzling the juice over the bread and the olives. Oh my goodness you are making me hungry. Your photos are beautiful BTW. Sharing, of course!

    • chef mimi June 24, 2015 at 11:02 AM - Reply

      Thank you! What I also love is that roasted chicken is good year round!

  18. Our Growing Paynes June 24, 2015 at 8:09 AM - Reply

    I love what is done with the olives. The flavours must be wonderful in this.

    • chef mimi June 24, 2015 at 11:03 AM - Reply

      They were pretty incredible. It helps if you love olives!!!

  19. Kiki June 24, 2015 at 8:16 AM - Reply

    I’ve never even thought of roasting olives – why ever not, I’m wondering now!? The stuffed chicken looks good, too, although I couldn’t handle a whole animal :-) I’ll try the olive roasting, though, already thinking about what to pair them with. Great inspiration, thanks for that!

    • chef mimi June 24, 2015 at 11:04 AM - Reply

      I know! Isn’t that crazy?!! It’s a wonderful combination!

  20. dianeskitchentable June 24, 2015 at 10:44 AM - Reply

    I don’t think there’s anything I like more than a roasted chicken. This looks wonderful Mimi and I love the addition of the olives. As for the innards – I’ve been putting chicken liver in my stuffing for decades & no one’s caught on yet but I always get compliments.

  21. Marcela (tortadellafiglia) June 25, 2015 at 1:28 AM - Reply

    Your roast chicken looks amazing! I love the olives addition! Must be really tasty…

  22. Nadia June 25, 2015 at 5:48 PM - Reply

    This looks delicious and your photographs are great. That bread and olives – yum!

    • chef mimi June 25, 2015 at 6:11 PM - Reply

      The bread topped with the olives and jus was the best part!!!

  23. afracooking June 26, 2015 at 12:46 PM - Reply

    I adore chicken (an understatement) and this sounds like a fabulous way to prepare it. Going onto my to cook list ;-)

    • chef mimi June 26, 2015 at 4:42 PM - Reply

      well if you love olives, you’ll absolutely love this chicken dish!

  24. Frank Fariello June 28, 2015 at 7:31 AM - Reply

    This looks heavenly! Gotta try it soon.

  25. A Famished Foodie June 29, 2015 at 9:36 AM - Reply

    This looks fantastic! I am not even a big chicken fan, but I would totally try this.

    • chef mimi June 29, 2015 at 9:39 AM - Reply

      Oh thanks! It’s a wonderful way to enjoy chicken!

  26. love in the kitchen June 29, 2015 at 3:36 PM - Reply

    WOW. WOW. WOW. Just absolutely (bloody) fantastic! I will be making this one.

  27. Simply Splendid Food July 8, 2015 at 7:05 PM - Reply

    I am a big fan of olives. Pairing Chicken with olives is exciting. I can’t wait to make it. Stuffing is sensational. Thank you Chef Mimi!

    • chef mimi July 8, 2015 at 8:09 PM - Reply

      This is an exquisite dish! I do hope you try it!

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