Sicilian Chicken

Sicilian Chicken has been a family favorite for many years. A little red pepper adds some spice to this dish but the flavors of thyme and bay leaves mixed with a few vegetables make this dish stand out from the rest. The secret to this dish is a cup of sliced green olives.


Green olives are used in many dishes throughout the Mediterranean. Some of the best olives are produced in the Apulia region of Italy. The Cerignola Olives are large, meaty, full of flavor and perfect for this recipe. However, olives have a tendency to get bitter when over cooked so they should always be added to the dish at the very last minute.
Serve this Sicilian chicken with a heavy crusted Italian bread and of course a great glass of wine.
INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

3 Tbls of olive oil

1 Tbls of butter

1/4 cup of white vermouth

2 bunches of long green onions, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 Tbls of capers, drained and rinsed (optional)

2 bay leaves

1 Tbls of dried Thyme

1 Tbls of tomato paste

1 cup of chicken broth

1 cup of Cerignola green olives, pitted and sliced

1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp of black pepper

1/2 tsp of salt


PREPARATION

Season chicken with salt and pepper

In a large skillet, sauté the chicken in the oil and butter until browned. Cook the chicken in batches and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with the vermouth then add the celery, onions, garlic, capers and bay leaves and sauté until the celery is tender.

Stir in the tomato paste and the chicken stock.

Add the thyme, red pepper

Return the chicken to the pan, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Uncover and add the olives and cook for another 10 minutes until olives heat through and sauce in slightly reduced.

Remove the bay leaves.
Plate the chicken and pour the sauce all over. Serves 4 people