Baked Chicken With Olives, Turnips, and Turnip Greens

I cooked a variation of this dish, made with duck rather than chicken and without the turnip greens, for the first-ever meal served at Berkeley’s world-famous Chez Panisse restaurant on August 28, 1971. I don’t know why I chose it for the opener, except its elements appealed to my French-cuisine style at the time, and also to my Armenian taste for turnips and olives.

Dinner was rather later than advertised — we were all novices in the restaurant business — and was not quite perfect that night. I have made the dish countless times since. Adding turnip greens is one of my favorite latter-day innovations.–Victoria Jenanyan Wise

Baked Chicken With Olives, Turnips, and Turnip Greens

• Quick Glance
• 30 M
• 2 H
• Serves 4 to 6

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Ingredients

Directions

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• 2. If using baby turnips, trim and scrub them, saving the greens. Cut the turnips in half and set aside. If using regular turnips, peel them and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch wedges. Set aside. Thinly shred the greens, wash and drain them, and set aside.
• 3. Place the chicken, onion, tomato, bay leaf, paprika, salt, pepper, and wine in an oven dish large enough to hold the ingredients in one crowded layer. Turn to coat, winding up with the chicken skin side up. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over, and continue baking uncovered for 25 minutes, until the chicken is almost done.
• 4. Remove the cover and turn the chicken over again (skin side up again). Tuck the turnips and olives under the chicken and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until the turnips are tender and the chicken is golden on top. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the turnip greens, and cook uncovered for 3 minutes more, until the greens wilt. Serve right away.

Recipe Testers Reviews

Vera Eisenberg

The presentation of this dish is spectacular. The chicken is a beautiful, golden brown playing against the roasted turnip and the last-minute additions of the greens. I am Hungarian and used a private stash of a combination hot and sweet Hungarian paprika.

Abby Gruen

What a flavorful attractive dish! I hesitate to serve roast chicken to guests, thinking it is very ordinary, but this was a standout. I think the combination of onions, paprika, turnips, wine, and olives was perfectly balanced with the chicken. Plus there was wonderful gravy, which my husband always enjoys.