Chicken Scarpariello

How is it already June 30!? You see, this is exactly why I don’t make New Years Resolutions. Go back in time 6 months, to December 30th, and you’ll find me talking a big game about how starting in January I was going to focus on me, get back to my food blog, do some restaurant reviews, start up my meal service, yada yada yada. Well fast forward to today, exactly 6 months later, and I am just now finding the time to get it all started again. But this time I am being realistic; starting off slow. One blog post per week, that’s my goal for now. Seems attainable, don’t you think? I hope so! Summer of 2022…Summer of Liz…here we go!

Chicken Scarpariello, or “Chicken Scarp” as it is more well known, is by far my Dad’s favorite Italian dish. He orders it exactly the same at every restaurant:
“Chicken Scarp, white meat, off the bone with sweet peppers. Spaghetti marinara on the side.” Add a glass of a Montepulciano red wine and he is all set. Now on the wine I am in complete agreement with my Dad. But my chicken scarp order is entirely different.
“Chicken Scarp, white and dark meat on the bone with extra hot peppers.” To each his own I guess…but my way is better. (Love you Dad!)

This recipe is based off the chicken scarp recipe at one of the most famous Italian restaurants in the world; Rao’s in New York City. Usually I take a recipe and really change things up to make it my own, but it is hard to change much in a recipe that has been perfected over decades and served as Rao’s. So the changes are small and the outcome is delish!

Start by preparing your potatoes. Cut your potatoes into small chunks – at least into quarters but will depend on the size of your potatoes. Place them in a small pot with cold water and place over medium heat. Bring them to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, just until they begin to soften. You don’t want them completely cooked or they will get too mushy when cooked again, you just want to give them a little head start. After 5 minutes, drain the potatoes and set them aside.

Take your bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and onion, and slice them thinly. You want them to cook down and become soft in the sauce. Set this aside along with the minced garlic.

I am going to share a little secret/tip with you. We all know that dinner time with little kids is a hectic time. It isn’t always easy to chops tons of vegetables or measure out liquids while a kid is screaming for more mac and cheese. So I like to meal prep whenever I can. Earlier in the day, when the house was quiet, I sliced all my veggies and pre-measured all my liquids. This way, once I started cooking, I can just drop and go, each step ready. This isn’t always possible nor necessary for every recipe, but chopping and measuring in advance is a nice way to eliminate some of the stress that can come when cooking – especially when trying a new recipe. So give meal prep a shot; it works!

Now on to the main event…the chicken! Pat your chicken pieces dry and generously salt and pepper both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over high heat until it gets screaming hot. You want that chicken to sizzle loudly when it hits the pot! Add in the chicken in batches, I like to do it by type. So I start by putting the breasts in, skin side down. NOTE – do NOT touch the chicken once you put it down. Let it sit there and sear for 4-5 minutes. The chicken should pull away from the pot easily and then flip and cook on the other side for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pot, place on a platter and repeat with the thighs.

Next, add the sausage into the same pot and cook for 4-5 minutes on both sides. Remove it from the pan and slice into 1/4-1/2 in slices and set aside. It won’t be cooked through and it’s OK if some slices fall apart. It all becomes part of the sauce and it’s delicious!

After you remove the sausage from the pot, add in the bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, onions and garlic. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes until the veggies begin to brown and soften. How good do those look!?

Next step; pour in the chicken stock, white wine, red wine vinegar, cherry pepper brine and oregano. Add in the potatoes, cherry peppers, and cooked sausage. Stir and bring to a simmer.

Now carefully pour all of the contents of the pot into a large roasting pan and spread it out evenly. Take the chicken pieces and nestle them in the veggies, skin side up to maintain the crispiness. Place the roasting pan in the oven for 30 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and the sauce to reduce a bit. Remove from the oven and serve hot. You can serve with pasta, but I feel this is a whole meal in one. Don’t forget the wine! Buon Appetito!