How to Make an Immaculate Chicken Scarpariello

Here’s an interesting dish that uses the sweetness of sausage to balance out the heat of cherry peppers. A wonderful and family-friendly recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs. chicken pieces – skin-on, bone-in, your favorite
• 1 onion – halved, sliced thin
• 3-5 jarred hot cherry peppers
• 5 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley – chopped
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 8 oz. sweet Italian sausage meat
• 1 red bell pepper – sliced thin, seeded
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• salt and pepper – to taste

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350º with rack in middle position.
2. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium to high heat until it starts smoking.
4. Add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down and cook while occasionally moving it until well-browned. This takes about 4-5 minutes.
5. Turn the chicken over and continue to brown on the other side. When completely cooked, transfer it to a plate.
6. Add the sausage meat to the remaining oil in the pan and cook. Break it up with a wooden spoon and wait until it browned.
7. Transfer the sausage with a slotted spoon to the plate with the chicken.
8. Remove some of the drippings from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons, and return the skillet to a medium-high heat.
9. Add onions and bell peppers that have been seeded and sliced. Cook for about 5 minutes until all are softened.
10. Add garlic, oregano and cherry peppers that have been rinsed, seeded, and sliced thin (about ½ cup total). Cook altogether until fragrant and remember not to burn the garlic.
11. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds.
12. Add broth and cherry pepper brine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
13. Remove skillet from the heat and stir in the sausage.
14. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up, not overlapping, in skillet and add all the accumulated juices.
15. Transfer the chicken to the oven and cook until done. Chicken should register at about 165º – 170º for about 20-25 minutes.
16. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Transfer chicken to serving platter.
17. Taste and season the remains in the pan with salt and pepper, stir and then spoon over the chicken. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Buon Mangiata!