Olive-Brined Chicken Skewers with Greek Salad Relish

Don't throw away that brine! Let's make magic with it.

One of the best marinade ingredients may already be lurking in your refrigerator—can you guess it?—if you said the brine left in all those jars of cured and pickle-y things, you’re right! Olives, capers, preserved lemons, pickles, pickled jalapeños, pepperoncini, sport peppers, you name it. If it has brine, it can become a marinade.

The salinity of the olive brine doesn’t make the chicken actually taste like olives, but instead imbues it with a deep savoriness that you can’t quite put your finger on. Basically, it makes the chicken taste like the best, most yummiest version of itself. Garlic powder, oregano, and lemon zest round things out, giving almost chicken souvlaki-like vibes. (Note: If you’re using brine from something that has a bigger, bolder taste, like spicy peppers or preserved lemon, those flavors will find their way into whatever you’re marinating.)

Since that jar is being depleted of some of its liquid gold, it’s important to utilize the olives too, so they don’t languish in the jar naked. Green olives are torn and combined with all the ingredients of a classic Greek Salad—cucumbers, red onions, green peppers, and tomatoes—then dressed with EVOO, lemon juice, a splash of red wine vinegar, and finished with a handful of tender green herbs. The skewers are grilled to flame-kissed perfection and served with the relish, plus cooling garlicky yogurt. This recipe is for paid subscribers only.

HELLO, GRILLED GORGEOUSNESS!