On one of my visits to Roberto’s on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, I picked up this delightfully spicy chicken recipe. It pairs wonderfully with the tomato-and-bread salad on page 94.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　3 1/2-to-4-pound chicken, cut into 10 to 12 pieces (2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, each breast halved, plus neck and back if desired)

　　1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　All-purpose flour, for dredging

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　8 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

　　2 large red bell peppers, cut into eighths

　　6 hot red pickled cherry peppers, drained and halved lengthwise

　　1 teaspoon dried oregano

　　1 cup dry white wine

　　

Step 1

Season the chicken all over with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Spread the flour on a rimmed plate, and dredge the chicken in flour, tapping off the excess. Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes in all.

　　

Step 2

Once the chicken is browned, drop the garlic into the empty spaces in the pan, and add the bell peppers and the cherry peppers. Cook until the peppers are caramelized on the edges, about 4 to 5 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Move the breast pieces on top of the rest of the chicken and vegetables (to avoid overcooking), and sprinkle everything with the oregano and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cover, and cook until the chicken and vegetables are deeply caramelized, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Uncover, pour in the white wine, and simmer until the wine is almost cooked away and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes more.

　　Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.