Best made with boneless thighs, this is not bad with breasts either, as long as you don’t overcook them. Serve with crusty bread.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

　　1/2 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch chunks

　　1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped

　　2 tablespoons butter, optional

　　1/2 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

　　1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or water

　　Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Put the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the sausage pieces and brown well, turning as necessary, for a total of about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Brown it quickly, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, onion, and peppers.

　　

Step 2

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften a bit, about 2 minutes. Add the butter if you’re using it and stir until melted.

　　

Step 3

Add the vinegar and raise the heat to high; boil, uncovered, until the vinegar is almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and let it boil until the sauce thickens, just a minute or so. Garnish and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.