Roman Style Chicken

It is Giada time over at the IHCC and this week’s theme was “Served Family Style”. One of the things Giada does best is family style meals. And while, it may seem that my family is about to cluck from the amount of chicken we’ve been eating lately, I didn’t want to do a pasta dish. My absolute favorite Giada family style dish is Short Ribs Tagliatelle, but I didn’t want to do that again! So off I went to find a different family style dish and came across this one.

Feeds a lot of people, has an amazing sauce, easy on the pocket ingredients, and cooks in one pot and quickly!

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
• 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

NOTE: I didn’t have prosciutto in the house, but did have diced pancetta in the freezer. I made this sub, and with nearly the same flavor profile, and the small quantity in the dish, I don’t think it made a difference.

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

NOTE: This was VERY saucy. It may have been the can of whole tomatoes that I diced (grabbed the wrong can at the market) or this is just a saucy dish.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

NOTE: Not a caper fan, so I skipped that totally. We served this and devoured it immediately. I had planned on roasted potatoes, but once the scent hit me from the sauce, I knew it had to be polenta. I made a polenta to go with, a salad and a baguette and the family feast was on!