Chicken Scarpariello

Giorgio Celmo

Chicken scarpariello translates as "shoemaker chicken". Its origin seems to be a bit obscure, but there is a theory that Italian males that migrated from Italy to New York in order to make a living, used to congregate and eat together. Therefore, this recipe seems to be the result of a male cook who simply put some ingredients together and got good results. This recipe is a bit peculiar for the fact that it combines sausage and chicken. You do not see this combination really in typical Italian Recipes. However, peculiar or not this dish is surely tasty and worth a try. Here is a recipe:

Ingredients

3 1/2 pound chicken
1 pound fresh Italian sausage cut into one inch pieces
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup hot sliced cherry peppers
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Wash the chicken under cold water and pat dry. Separate the chicken into serving portions: remove the thighs, legs and wings, remove and discard the back bone and cut each breast into two pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 minute until hot but not smoking, add the chicken skin side down, cooking in batches if necessary. Brown the chicken evenly on both sides, turning occasionally.

Cook all the chicken to a dark golden brown, remove and keep warm on a platter. Using the same large skillet, add the sausage to the still warm pan and brown well, turning the sausage frequently, until all the sausage has also been browned to a dark golden brown. Remove and keep warm on a platter. Pour off all fat from skillet and add the remaining olive oil, heating it over medium heat for 1 minute before adding the sliced onions.

Cook the onions for 8 - 10 minutes until well browned, add the cherry peppers and stir to combine. Add the sliced garlic; cook until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and wine and allow both to reduce by half before adding the chicken broth. When the broth starts to simmer, return the chicken and sausage to the pan and combine, cooking together for 10-12 minutes, braising until both are thoroughly cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, add the parsley and serve.