Chicken Scarpariello with Sausage and Peppers

Chicken Scarpariello is a classic Italian-American recipe.  The word scarpariello means “shoemaker” which some theorize refers to the word cobbled, as in all the ingredients can be simply thrown together. This rustic recipe boasts juicy chicken thighs, sweet Italian sausage, and a sweet-sour pan sauce. THAT SAUCE is intensely flavorful and the potatoes are its best friend. I married a few recipes to pull the ingredients I thought would best complement each other.

Chicken Scarpariello with Sausage and Peppers

Serves 6

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

3-4 sweet Italian sausages, cut into 6 pieces each

1 pound new potatoes or fingerlings, scrubbed and quartered

1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

6 hot (or mild) cherry peppers (piquante), from a jar and chopped

6 cloves garlic

3-4 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 cup hot pepper cherry juice

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock or hot water, as needed

Leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

In a 10″or 12″ inch heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, and brown on both sides, turning once.

Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same pan, cook the sausage slices and potatoes until brown; remove them and set aside with the chicken. Drain off half of the fat from the pan.

Add the onion, garlic, bell peppers, and hot peppers to the pan and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and pepper juice. Scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock or water and bring to a boil. Return the chicken, sausage, and potatoes to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a bubbling simmer until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes; add more wine or water if necessary to keep the pan from getting dry.

Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Stir the basil and parsley into the sauce remaining in the pan and spoon over the chicken. Top with a few pinches of fresh chopped parsley.

Adapted loosely from: Mario Batali/ Food&Wine