This is a variation on an old Italian dish called Chicken Scaparello, which is made with cut-up chicken, sausage, onions, and peppers simmered in a tomato sauce. Out of respect, we gave our version a different name and spiced the dish up a bit usin’ sausages from Louisiana and a good dose of the Mutha Sauce. Either way it’s good home cookin’. So make it yourself and eat hearty.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 4 to 6

　　

The Chicken

1 chicken (3 1/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces

　　Creole Seasoning (page 167)

　　1/2 cup olive oil

　　1 large red onion, chopped

　　1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

　　Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper

　　8 to 10 large cloves garlic, chopped

　　2 cups chicken broth or stock (to make your own, see page 168)

　　1 1/2 cups Mutha Sauce (page 165)

　　3 bay leaves

　　4 to 5 pickled pepperoncini, cut in rounds

　　1 teaspoon dried thyme

　　1/3 cup red wine vinegar

　　3/4 pound andouille sausage

　　2 tablespoons softened butter

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　

The Accoutrement

Perfect Rice (page 117)

　　

Step 1

Spice up the chicken pieces by sprinkling Creole Seasoning all over them and rubbing it in for good flavor penetration. Pour the oil into a skillet set over medium-high heat. When it’s hot but not smoking, add the chicken pieces and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Take them out and put them on a platter. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the skillet.

　　

Step 2

Scoop up the onions and peppers and toss them into the remaining oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook them, scraping up all the delicious browned bits of chicken clinging to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, til the veggies get soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

　　

Step 3

Douse the softened veggies with the broth and the Mutha Sauce. Toss in the bay leaves, pepperoncini, and thyme and pour in the vinegar. Give everything a good stir. Grab the chicken pieces and put them into the pan, skin side up. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and let the ingredients simmer actively over medium heat for 20 minutes. While this is going on, slice the andouille sausage 1/2 inch thick and cook briefly in another skillet over medium heat to render out some of the fat. Take the slices out of the skillet and drain on paper towels. When the chicken has been simmering for 20 minutes, add the drained sausage to it, flip the chicken pieces so they’re skin side down, and simmer for 15 minutes more.

　　

Step 4

Skim any oil from the surface of the sauce, fish out the bay leaves, and taste the sauce to see if you need to add a little more seasoning. Fold in the butter and parsley. Serve immediately on a bed of steaming Perfect Rice.

　　Dinosaur Bar-B-QueTen Speed Press