RAO'S CHICKEN SCARPARIELLOSource:
Rao's Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking by Frank PellegrinoServings: 6
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 (2 1/2-pound each) chickens, rinsed, patted dry, spines removed, each cut into 12 pieces
2 links hot Italian sausage in the casings, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 links sweet Italian sausage in the casings, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large bell peppers, red, yellow or green, seeded and cut into thin strips
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into thin rounds
1 large sweet onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 or more hot cherry peppers (bottled in vinegar), left whole
2 or more small potatoes, peeled, boiled and sliced, optional
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
salt and pepper (to taste)
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, brown the chicken, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels.
Add the sausage and saute until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.
In the same pan, saute the bell peppers, jalapenos, onion and garlic until soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain.
Pour oil from pan. Return the sausage, chicken and vegetables to pan. Add the cherry peppers, potatoes, chicken broth, wine, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Uncover and continue cooking until the sauce has reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
Note from source: This is even better if prepared a day ahead. Prepare until the chicken has cooked through, then let cool and refrigerate. Reheat, covered, until heated through. Uncover and continue simmering until sauce is reduced slightly.
