Ellie Krieger
THE WASHINGTON POST – The spring week I spent in Sicily years ago, visiting my husband’s extended family, forever changed the way I see artichokes.
The vegetable was in peak season then, and they were so plentiful they showed up wherever you turned – piled high at the market, sold roadside from a truck (10 for EUR1!), and featured in one creative way or another at nearly every meal we had.
You didn’t hear me complaining – I loved every bite. Now, I reflexively associate spring with artichokes, despite the fact that I mostly cook with frozen artichoke hearts.
That said, the season doesn’t get by me without at least a few meals of fresh ones, either stuffed and baked, or steamed and served with a dipping sauce.
This healthful one-pot dinner brings artichokes into play in a take on one of my favourite Italian-American dishes, chicken scarpariello.
The dish of braised chicken with peppers and sausage was one of my go-to orders as a kid when we got to eat at one of the family-run Italian restaurants near our home in Queens.
Artichokes are not traditionally used in the braise, but they fit in beautifully, simmered until tender with all of the other ingredients, contributing lovely layers of flavour, colour and nutrition.
Using frozen hearts makes it an effortless addition, and adding a modest amount of chicken sausage, slicing it thinly so there is some in each bite, imbues the dish with sausage flavour while keeping it lighter and more healthful overall.
The amount of hot cherry peppers I call for here yields a definite but not overwhelming, mouth-tingling heat, but feel free to add more or less, or leave them out entirely, if you prefer.
Served with a hunk of crusty bread for sopping up the savoury sauce, it’s a comforting meal that might read as wintry if it weren’t for the artichokes, which make it ring of spring.
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES, PEPPERS AND SAUSAGE
This healthful one-pot dinner brings artichokes into play in a spin on the Italian-American dish, chicken scarpariello. Simmered until tender with all of the other ingredients, the artichokes contribute lovely layers of flavour, colour and nutrition.
Using frozen hearts makes it an effortless addition, and adding a modest amount of chicken sausage, slicing it thinly so there is some in each bite, imbues the dish with sausage flavor while keeping it lighter and more healthful overall.
The amount of hot cherry peppers called for here yields a definite, but not overwhelming, mouth-tingling heat, but feel free to add more or less, or leave them out entirely, if you prefer. Serve with a hunk of crusty bread for sopping up the savoury sauce.
INGREDIENTS
– Four tablespoons olive oil, divided
– One fully-cooked Italian chicken sausage link, thinly sliced
– Four bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed and patted dry
– Quarter teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
– One-eighth teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
– One medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
– One medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
– Two cloves garlic, sliced
– One package frozen artichoke hearts (no need to defrost)
– Quarter cup sliced jarred hot cherry peppers, or to taste
– One cup low-sodium chicken broth
– One large sprig fresh rosemary
– One teaspoon vinegar
– Chopped parsley, for garnish, optional
DIRECTIONS
Step 1
In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat one tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about three minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
Step 2
Season the chicken with quarter teaspoon of the salt and one-eighth teaspoon of the pepper. Add two more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, then add two pieces of the chicken and brown them on both sides, about two minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the sausage and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Step 3
Add the remaining one tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add the red bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the artichokes and hot peppers and bring to a boil. Cook for about two minutes.
Step 4
Return the chicken and sausage to the pan, along with any accumulated juices, nestling the chicken into the vegetables. Add the broth and rosemary, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone, about 25 minutes.
Step 5
Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large bowl, and cover to keep warm.
Step 6
Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat and continue to boil, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about five minutes, then stir in the vinegar. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Step 7
Serve the chicken and vegetables drizzled with the sauce and garnished with parsley, if using. (You can serve the extra sauce on the side, if you like).
