Seared Panzanella Chicken

1 cup olive oil

12 garlic cloves, peeled

4 boneless chicken breasts

4 boneless chicken thighs

16 good-size chunks day-old bread, drizzled with olive oil and coarse salt

1/3 cup pitted oil-cured black olives

4 cups chicken stock

Salt and black pepper to taste

¼ cup chopped parsley

 

1 bunch arugula, cleaned and dried on a clean dish towel

¼ cup sherry vinegar

¾ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

 

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a small pan, add one cup of olive oil and 12 cloves of garlic. Slowly caramelize the garlic until tender. In a skillet, pan sear the chicken pieces and place on a baking sheet until all pieces are seared. Place in the preheated oven to roast. Cut up chunks of day-old bread and drizzle with olive oil and salt (about four cubes of bread per person). Place in oven to toast. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan and keep warm. Discard oil from pan and add pitted olives, the garlic and chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the crust. Taste, then add salt and pepper and chopped parsley. Remove toasted bread and place on plates. Spoon the sauce over the warm croutons. Top with an arugula salad dressed with sherry vinegar, olive oil and sugar and warm roasted chicken.