Chicken Scarpiello
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2-1 pound fennel sausage, cut into bite- size pieces
3-pound chicken cut into about 8 pieces with bone left intact
Kosher salt
1/2 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup quartered hot cherry peppers
1/2 cup hot cherry pepper juice, from the jar
1 cup chicken stock, plus a little more if needed
3 sprigs fresh oregano, picked and chopped
Directions: 1. Coat the bottom of a large Dutch Oven with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown well. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and reserve.
2. Season the chicken generously with salt and add oven that the sausage was browned in. Brown the chicken well, crisping the skin last. Once the chicken is brown on all sides, remove it from the Dutch oven and reserve.
3. Drain the oil and return it to the heat. Coat the oven lightly with new olive oil, add the onions and season with salt. Cook the onions over medium heat until they are translucent and very aromatic, 6 to 7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.
5. Add the wine to the pan and reduce it by half.
6. While the wine is reducing, scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
7. Return the sausage and add the cherry peppers, cherry pepper juice, chicken stock, oregano and chicken to the pan while keeping the crispy skin above the liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
8. Remove the lid and simmer for 5 more minutes; add more chicken stock if the stock has reduced too much.
9. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
The finished dish should be slightly soupy, spicy, and delicious.