Another winner from this cookbook.
I haven't turned to the desserts yet but maybe I will soon. A work colleague of mine brought over some brioche bread pudding with Meyer lemon glaze on Friday so now I have to seriously consider teaching myself how to bake cake. There's a ricotta and lemon cake on page 335 that's calling my name.
But I digress...
Tonight's dinner:
4 chicken legs and 4 chicken thighs.
The book calls for 2 3/4 lbs. chicken but we prefer dark meat at Casa Hobbit, hence why you never see breast meat.
Clockwise from bottom: 2 tbsp. chopped oregano (subbed for rosemary which the book calls for but which we didn't have); 1/2 cup pinot grigio; 2 tbsp. sliced guanciale; 1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes; 1 crushed garlic clove. Not shown are two sweet red peppers that were julienned.
Warm olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, then add guanciale. Book calls for pancetta but this is what we had on hand, plus I prefer guanciale to pancetta nearly all the time. Cook until fat is rendered and guanciale begins to crisp.
Add chicken skin side down. Fry until chicken develops a nice golden crust. This step absolutely cannot be rushed. It will take about 20 minutes or so.
Once the chicken has browned, add the wine and let it evaporate. Season with salt and liberal grindings of black pepper. Be sure to season the chicken on both sides.
Add the garlic, oregano (or rosemary, if using) and the crushed tomatoes. Book calls for either canned plum tomatoes with juice or fresh tomatoes. Go with whatever you like.
Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Check every so often that the chicken isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot. Eventually, chicken will come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partly cover and cook for an additional 45-50 minutes or until sauce has become dense and rich. You might want to check the pot every so often; if the sauce seems like it's too thick, add some water.
Meanwhile, cook your peppers.
The book has you oven-roast them but I elected to fry them in olive oil, seasoned with a pinch of salt. I fried the peppers until they were nice and soft, then added them to the chicken.
Pollo alla romana con peperoni ("chicken with tomato and sweet peppers"), pages 192-195.
