Chicken Braised With Sweet Bell Peppers
Sweet, Savory, and Simple
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
Some of my fondest memories come from simple moments: strolling along the Brooklyn waterfront as an unexpected fireworks show burst overhead; lingering over drinks in the window seat of a local café on a snowy afternoon; lolling in my beach chair in a shallow stretch along the shore as the gentle ocean lapped at my feet.
The magic happened because a new element disrupted the everyday. The fireworks show, the falling snow, the ultra-calm surf.
That can happen with cooking, too. A new ingredient, a different method, an alternate recipe, can transform a mundane meal, as it did when I tried Toni Lydecker’s recipe for Pollo con Peperonata (Chicken Braised With Sweet Bell Peppers) from her book, “Piatto Unico,” published by Lake Isle Press.
I saw this as a basic recipe—not very fancy, no unusual ingredients, and not a lot of them. It’s a braise, which has become one of my preferred ways to prepare chicken, so no surprise there. Yet this dish was so special—richly flavorful, fragrant, and tender. Just the right combination of ingredients, cooked just the right way, and the result was many steps from the everyday.
I followed the recipe closely, but not precisely. Instead of a cut-up chicken I prepared an equal amount of bone-in chicken thighs, and I substituted dry vermouth for wine. I used a combination of white and red onion (because I ran out of white), two teaspoons of anchovy paste in place of the anchovy fillets, and a cup of canned diced tomatoes. Rather than simmering a chicken stock from scratch, I made some by mixing a half teaspoon of Better than Bullion with a cup of hot water. I also returned the pan sauce from step 2 to the pot, supplemented with a little extra stock, to braise the peperonata and chicken rather than using stock only.
Since I don’t normally cook with anchovies, I suspect their umami complexity was the element that disrupted this dish for me and made it new. While I’ll have to work my way up to cooking with the whole fish (give me time!), I’m eager to see what anchovy paste can do to light up other everyday recipes—kind of the food equivalent of a Brooklyn fireworks display.
Chicken Braised With Sweet Bell Peppers | Dara O’Brien
Chicken Braised With Sweet Bell Peppers
(Pollo con Peperonata)
Click here for printable recipe.
Makes 4 to 6 servings | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: about 1 1/2 hours (including broth making)
INGREDIENTS
1 chicken, preferably free-range (3 to 4 pounds) with neck, etc., cut into serving pieces and washed well (see Note)
1 medium onion
2 or 3 parsley sprigs
Sea salt or kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red or white wine
2 small red and/or yellow bell peppers, cut into small squares
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 to 4 anchovy fillets, pinched into small pieces
1/2 cup strained tomatoes (such as Pomì) or chopped canned plum tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION
To make the broth: Combine the wing ends, neck, and cleaned gizzard in a medium saucepan; if the chicken was sold with head and feet, throw them in too. Trim and peel the onion, adding the ends and skin to the saucepan; chop and reserve the onion. Cut off the parsley stems; add to the saucepan; coarsely chop and reserve the leaves. Cover the contents of the saucepan with water, add 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, skimming off any frothy scum and fat that rise to the top, for 20 minutes to 1 hour.
With paper towels, blot the chicken pieces dry and sprinkle with salt. Over medium-high heat, heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet. Cook the chicken, turning with tongs, until well browned on all sides. Lower the heat and add the wine and about the same amount of broth (dip it out of the saucepan and pour through a small strainer into the skillet); stir and cook until the liquid is reduced, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter, pouring any pan juices over it.
Add a little more olive oil to the same skillet. Over medium heat, sauté the chopped onion until golden brown; add the bell peppers and garlic, and sauté 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir in the anchovies, pressing them into the sauce with a wooden spoon until they semi-dissolve. Add the strained tomatoes and an equal amount of the broth.
Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, and stir to combine with the peperonata (pepper mixture). Simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Taste and add more salt (if needed) and pepper. Garnish with the chopped parsley leaves.
Note
A truly cage-free chicken, regardless of the breed, will make a tremendous difference in the taste of this dish. Peperonata is usually served as a vegetable side, but here the bell peppers and other ingredients are integrated into the dish. A simple broth made from chicken trimmings contributes to the complex flavor of the sauce. If you’re short of time, buy prepared chicken broth rather than making it. Use any left-over broth to make steamed couscous or rice to go with the chicken.
Recipe from “Piatto Unico” by Toni Lydecker, Lake Isle Press, 2011
Chicken Braised With Sweet Bell Peppers Recipe
from “Piatto Unico”
by Toni Lydecker, Lake Isle Press, 2011
“As you have no doubt heard and observed, a real Italian meal consists of several courses. Except when it doesn’t.” —Toni Lydecker
A languorous multi-course Italian meal is a traditional and wonderful thing; in this authoritative collection, Toni Lydecker leads us to the simple beauty of the piatto unico or one-course Italian meal. Well-balanced and packed with bold flavors, the piatto unico pairs the rustic simplicity of great Italian cooking with a modern sensibility.
ALSO FROM “PIATTO UNICO”
Couscous Confetti Salad with Tuna
Herbed Roast Pork Tenderloin with
Parsnip Puree
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