Braising With Olives: Chicken, Lamb and Fish
Olives are at their best in a braise, and at their most easily ruined. Slow, wet heat is the one method that rewards them properly: the brine thins into the sauce, the flesh takes on the cooking liquid, and what was a sharp salty snack becomes something round and savoury. But each protein wants a different olive, added at a different moment, and getting either wrong produces the two classic failures, a salt-bomb or grey mush.
The rule that governs all three
Olives go in late, and salt goes in last. A whole olive simmered for an hour hands most of its salt to the sauce and keeps almost none, which means the sauce becomes seasoned and the olive becomes bland. That is the wrong way round. Add them for the final stretch only, then taste, then decide whether the dish needs any salt at all. It usually does not.
The general principles are in the practical guide to cooking with olives. What follows is protein by protein.
Chicken
The classic pairing, and the most forgiving. Chicken thighs, preserved lemon and green olives is the combination the Moroccan tagine made famous, and it works because the olive’s salt and the lemon’s acid both cut through the fat in the dark meat.
- Olive: firm green. Picholine, Lucques, or a plain Spanish Manzanilla.
- When: last 25 minutes of a 60 to 90 minute braise.
- Stones: leave them in. They hold the flesh together and the dish is eaten slowly enough that nobody minds.
- Watch for: preserved lemon is already very salty. If you are using it, rinse the olives first.
A full version is in chicken with olives tagine.
Lamb
Lamb is fattier and much stronger, so it can take a stronger olive and a longer contact time. This is the one braise where a ripe black olive earns its place, because the meat will not be overwhelmed by it.
- Olive: Kalamata, Gaeta, or dry-cured Moroccan if you want it emphatic.
- When: last 30 to 40 minutes. Lamb braises run long and the olive needs time to soften into the sauce.
- Quantity: half what you would use with chicken if the olives are dry-cured. They are far more concentrated.
- Pairs with: rosemary, anchovy, tomato, red wine. The anchovy and the olive together are the backbone of the dish.
Fish
The trickiest, because fish cooks in minutes and olives need to be there without dominating. The answer is a small olive and a short braise, the Provencal and Ligurian approach rather than the North African one.
- Olive: small ones only. Taggiasca, Niçoise, or small Gaeta. A halved Kalamata will bully a fillet of cod.
- When: with the fish, from the start. The cooking time is short enough that they will not disintegrate.
- Method: build the sauce first, tomato, white wine, capers, olives, and only then lay the fish in to finish for 8 to 12 minutes.
- Watch for: capers plus olives is a lot of salt for a delicate fish. Choose one, or rinse both.
Quick reference
| Protein | Olive | Add | Stones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Firm green | Last 25 min | In |
| Lamb | Ripe black or dry-cured | Last 30–40 min | In |
| Fish | Small: Taggiasca, Niçoise | With the fish | Out |
| Beef | Firm green or Gaeta | Last 40 min | In |
Finishing
A braise that tastes flat at the end usually needs acid rather than salt. A tablespoon of the olive brine straight from the jar, stirred in off the heat, sharpens the whole pot and costs nothing. More on that in what to do with olive brine.
Frequently asked questions
When do you add olives to a braise?
In the last 25 to 40 minutes for meat, and from the start for fish because the cooking time is short. Added early to a long braise they surrender their salt and go bland.
Which olives are best for braising chicken?
Firm green olives such as Picholine, Lucques or Manzanilla. They hold their texture through an hour of wet heat where ripe black olives would collapse.
What olives go with lamb?
Kalamata, Gaeta or dry-cured Moroccan olives. Lamb is strong and fatty enough to carry a bolder olive. Use about half the quantity if they are dry-cured.
Can you braise fish with olives?
Yes, using small olives such as Taggiasca or Niçoise added with the fish. Build the sauce first and let the fish finish in it for 8 to 12 minutes.
Do you need to add salt when cooking with olives?
Usually not, and never before tasting. Olives release significant salt into a braise, so season at the very end if at all.