Chicken “Scarpariello” with Mary’s chicken
with Sweet & Hot Peppers
Scarpariello is “shoemaker” in Italian. Here, “shoemaker’s” chicken may refer to Neapolitan shoemakers making delicious food in the little time they had at the end of the day. On its own or served over pasta, chicken scarpariello is sure to be a weeknight hit even for the pickiest of eaters.
Ingredients
Serves 6 people
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (Mary’s Chicken is the best!)
2 sweet Italian sausages, cut into 6 pieces each
1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
10 cloves garlic
4 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
6 whole small hot peppers, such as cayenne or serrano
1 cup dry white wine, plus more as needed
1 cup hot water
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
Directions
In a 10- to 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 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. Serve with 1 hot pepper atop each portion.