Pollo in Padella alla Siciliana
Pollo in Padella alla Siciliana·(POHL-lo een pah-DEL-la AHL-la see-chee-lee-AH-nah)
L'Arte dell'Arrangiarsi: Weeknight Cucina Povera
Six o'clock on a Wednesday night, supermarket olive oil smokes in a twelve-inch cast-iron skillet while the skin blisters on a pack of supermarket bone-in chicken thighs. Briny olives, sharp capers, and garlic hit the hot pan for true cucina povera, a masterclass in taking an inexpensive cut of bird and stretching it into a feast; there are no heavy red sauces or blankets of melted mozzarella. Splash vinegar into the rendered fat, scrape the browned bits off the bottom, and serve straight from the iron.
Let's count words: Six (1) o'clock (2) on (3) a (4) Wednesday (5) night, (6) supermarket (7) olive (8) oil (9) smokes (10) in (11) a (12) twelve-inch (13) cast-iron (14) skillet (15) while (16) the (17) skin (18) blisters (19) on (20) a (21) pack (22) of (23) supermarket (24) bone-in (25) chicken (26) thighs. (27) Briny (28) olives, (29) sharp (30) capers, (31) and (32) garlic (33) hit (34) the (35) hot (36) pan (37) for (38) true (39) cucina (40)
Before you start
Dry the chicken completely.
Pat the chicken thighs thoroughly dry with paper towels to ensure a violent, immediate sear that triggers the Maillard reaction.
Temper the capers.
Soak salt-packed capers in fresh water for 10 minutes, then rinse them well to wash away the harsh cure while leaving behind the pure floral flavor.
Ingredients
- chicken thighs2 lb
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- garlic2 large cloves
- dried red chili pepper1 small
- dry white wine1/2 cup
- grape tomatoes1 pt
- pitted Sicilian green olives3/4 cup
- salt-packed capers2 tbsp
- fennel seeds1 tsp
- fresh parsley2 tbsp
- water1/4 cup
- kosher salt1 pinch
- black pepper1 pinch
Method
- 01
Infuse the olive oil with aromatics.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, toss in the smashed garlic and chili, and let them sizzle for 1 to 2 minutes to perfume the fat without burning.
- 02
Sear the chicken untouched for maximum flavor.
Remove and discard the garlic if you prefer a milder flavor, then place the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down, leaving them entirely alone for 7 to 8 minutes to build a deep, golden-brown crust.
- 03
Flip and finish the initial browning.
Turn the chicken thighs over and sear the flesh side for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
- 04
Deglaze the skillet with warm wine.
Pour the warmed white wine into the hot pan, using a wooden spoon to aggressively scrape up all the beautiful browned bits from the bottom, and let it bubble rapidly for 1 to 2 minutes until the harsh alcohol smell cooks off.
- 05
Build the braising liquid.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the halved tomatoes, rinsed capers, crushed fennel seed and parsley mixture, water, and exactly half of the olives.
- 06
Simmer the chicken gently.
Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the tomatoes collapse into a glossy pan sauce and the chicken is tender.
- 07
Reduce the final glaze and finish.
Remove the lid, increase the heat slightly to evaporate the watery liquids for 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in the remaining half of the olives and serve immediately.
Notes
Respect the thermal shock.
Hitting searing-hot chicken with fridge-cold wine causes the meat fibers to aggressively seize up, leaving you with tough, stringy chicken. Pour your wine into a glass and let it warm by the stove while you brown the meat.
Manage the salt bombs.
Capers and olives bring massive amounts of brine to the party. Season the chicken very lightly at the start, and only adjust the final seasoning after the pan sauce has fully reduced and concentrated.
Replicate the homeland aromatics.
Authentic wild fennel is nearly impossible to find in a standard American market, but lightly crushed fennel seeds mixed with fresh parsley flawlessly replicates its bright, anise-forward punch.