“This is my favourite chicken recipe – and one of the recipes I get most emails about. It’s very simple. Today we’re having it with cicoria, blanched for a few minutes then fried in good olive oil with garlic and pepperoncino.”
– Rachel Roddy, food writer, Rome
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 kg chicken (a small one, jointed, or a mixture of legs and thighs)
2 garlic cloves
1 small chilli pepper, or good pinch of dried chilli
A sprig of fresh rosemary
Salt and black pepper
250ml white wine, plus extra if needed
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
A handful of pitted black olives
METHOD
Cut the chicken into about 12 pieces (I ask my butcher to do this). In a deep sauté pan with a lid, large enough to fit the meat in a snug, single layer, warm the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the meat pieces, skin-side down and cook until the skin forms a golden crust, then turn them over and do the same on the other side. This will take about 15 minutes.
While the meat is browning, chop the garlic, chilli and needles from the rosemary sprig very finely. Once the meat has browned, sprinkle with the chopped garlic, chilli and rosemary, season with salt and pepper, pour over the white wine, cover the pan and turn the heat down to low.
Cook the meat, turning from time to time, until the thighs feel very tender when prodded with a fork, and the meat is surrounded by thick gravy – 45–75 minutes depending on the chicken. If the pan seems a little dry, add a little more wine.
In the last minutes of cooking add the vinegar and the olives, stir, and cook for a minute more, before dividing between warm plates.
