Favourite Chicken with Peppers
Submitted by garm
Italian-style chicken with peppers braised in white wine with garlic, charred red and yellow bell peppers, fresh herbs and a hit of chili. One-pan rustic dinner with deeply caramelized chicken skin.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1⅓ hrsThis is the kind of chicken dish that earns its name through technique, not exotic ingredients. The skin gets a hard sear over high heat alongside whole garlic cloves (kept off to one side so they don’t scorch), then the meat comes out and the fat goes nearly all the way down before red onion, tomato and chili hit the pan. A half cup of dry white wine deglazes everything, lifting the fond into the sauce. Then it’s the bell peppers that make this distinctive: charred and skinned ahead of time, sliced into strips, and added to the braise so they go silky soft rather than crunchy. Fresh herbs (sage, tarragon, thyme) pile in at the same time. Cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until the chicken is fork-tender, then rest the dish uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the juices settle. Serve with crusty bread to mop the pan.
Pro Tips
- Char the bell peppers ahead of time over an open flame or under the broiler. Steam them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel away the blackened skin for that signature smoky-sweet flavor.
- Pat the chicken bone dry before browning. Wet skin steams instead of crisping, and the fond is what flavors the sauce.
- Don’t crowd the pan during browning. Two batches gives twice the fond.
- If the sauce is thin at the end, pull the chicken out and reduce hard. Pouring watery sauce over crisp-skinned chicken is a missed opportunity.
Variations
- Use bone-in thighs only for a more forgiving cook that won’t dry out.
- Add a handful of pitted Kalamata olives and capers in the last 10 minutes for a Provencal twist.
- Swap the white wine for dry vermouth and add a strip of orange zest for a brighter flavor profile.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat oil and brown chicken pieces on all sides over fairly high heat along with the garlic cloves.
Leave garlic to one side to avoid burning; remove if it appears it may burn.
Brown chicken in batches to avoid crowding.
Remove chicken to a warm platter and salt and pepper it on all sides.
Tilt the pan and discard all but one tablespoon of the cooking fat.
Add onion to the pan and cook over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until wilted.
Add tomato and chile or chile powder and sauté a minute or two.
Add wine and let the wine cook down for a couple of minutes.
Return chicken to the pan.
Add pepper strips and herbs.
Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is fork tender, 30 to 45 minutes for a young fryer.
If juices are too thin, uncover and raise heat until reduced to desired consistency, removing chicken first if it is already done.
Let the dish stand uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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