Sicilian Chicken Stew
Serves 4
This hearty dish incorporates all the flavors of Sicilian cooking in one delicious stew! Be sure to serve with some crusty bread for mopping!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 1/2-2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 stalks celery from the heart, chopped into large pieces
- 2 cubanelle peppers, chopped into large pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- A pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 cups chicken stock (use a little more or less depending on how thick you like your stew)
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 1 cup big Italian green olives, chopped
- 1/4 cup golden raisins (about a handful)
- 1/2 cup basil (about a handful)
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (about a handful), chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts (about a palmful), toasted
- Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for topping
Directions
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO.
- Season the raw chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper. When the EVOO starts to ripple, put the chicken in the skillet and brown all sides.
- Add in the onion, celery, peppers, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the balsamic vinegar, a cup or so of the chicken stock and the tomatoes to the skillet. Crush the tomatoes with a potato masher and mix in the olives and raisins. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors blend, adding more chicken stock to reach the desired consistency of your stew.
- To serve, top each portion with basil, parsley, toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Serve with some crusty bread alongside.