Italian Pepper and Chicken Stew

A hearty Italian chicken stew creates big flavors with fried peppers, a tomato-basil sauce, olives and capers.

For these fall days, I suggest a classic Italian chicken stew, winking to the gone summer time, with bell peppers, black olives and pickled capers.

This traditional dish, transmits all the flavors of the southern Italian farms. I fried peppers as Sicilian way, and I cooked the chicken in the same oil, with a tasty tomato and basil sauce. To prepare this recipe I strongly suggest a dutch oven with enamel interior: Your stew will be a resounding success!

Hearty Mediterranean Chicken and Pepper Stew

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• Author: Filippo Trapella
• Total Time: 495 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Tender chicken and sweet bell peppers simmered in a savory tomato and white wine sauce with briny olives and capers. This one-pot Dutch oven meal is even more flavorful the next day.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 chicken
• 4 bell peppers different colors
• 1/2 pound (227g) crushed tomatoes
• 5 ounces (142g) shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 10 leaves of fresh sweet basil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) pickled capers
• 16 jumbo black olives
• 1 pint (473ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) white vinegar
• 1 glass white wine
• to taste black pepper
• to taste table salt

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Instructions

1. Pour the olive oil into a dutch oven with enamel interior and heat over high heat.
2. Clean the chicken and cut into pieces. Cut the peppers into pieces as well, and remove the seeds. Peel the shallots and cut them coarsely, then peel and crush the cloves of garlic.
3. Dip a piece of bell pepper into the hot oil. When the pepper starts to sizzle, immerse half of the peppers and cover with the lid. Cook for 7-8 minutes, keeping the dutch oven covered as much as possible. When the sizzling decreases in intensity, the peppers are cooked: They should be golden brown but not burned. Drain the bell peppers from the oil and let them rest on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat the process with the other half of the peppers.
4. Immediately after draining the bell peppers, immerse the chicken in the same oil, a few pieces at a time, with the skin side down. As soon as the skin becomes crisp, turn the chicken pieces over and cook until the surface is golden brown. Drain the chicken and line over paper towels.
5. Reserve 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the oil used for frying. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of white vinegar into the pot and place on low heat. When the vinegar begins to simmer, gently deglaze brown food residue, then add the reserved frying oil, shallots, and crushed garlic cloves. Stir-fry the vegetables until they are golden brown.
6. When the shallots and garlic are golden brown, add the chicken. Raise the heat to maximum, stirring the meat. After a few minutes, pour the white wine around the chicken pieces. Cook over high heat for 4-5 minutes, until the alcohol of the wine has evaporated. Now, add the crushed tomatoes and 5 basil leaves torn into pieces. When the sauce begins to simmer, set the heat to minimum, cover the pot with the lid, and let cook for 1 hour.
7. After 1 hour, the chicken stew sauce should have a brick-red color and an intense aroma. Add the bell peppers, olives, and capers. Mix gently, then cover the dutch oven with the lid, and cook 30 minutes at minimum heat.
8. When the chicken stew is cooked to perfection, complete with the remaining fresh basil leaves and a generous dash of black pepper and salt to taste. All this hard work will be rewarded with a tasty and incredibly tender stew, delicious freshly cooked, superlative heated the next day!

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 480 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Italian

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