Pollo alla Potentina

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Pollo alla Potentina combines tender chicken that's braised with onion, garlic, tomato, and a touch of white wine. Since this dish is made in one pan, cleanup is simple, making it perfect for weeknights.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: James Delmage

Ingredients

1 small chicken cut into pieces, can also use 3 pounds chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup lard
2 medium onions sliced
6 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
10 basil leaves hand torn

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F and set the rack to the middle level.
Heat the lard in a large oven-safe pan to medium heat. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Add the chicken pieces skin side down and brown well on both sides (about 10-12 minutes). Place the cooked chicken on a plate and set aside. Work in batches and do not crowd the pan while searing.
When finished cooking the chicken, turn the heat to medium-low and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes or until soft, then add in the garlic and cook for a few more minutes or until golden. Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the paste burns, add a splash of water to the pan.
Add the hot red pepper flakes and Calabrian chili paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits.
Add the plum tomatoes and bring the sauce to a lively simmer.
Place all of the chicken, except the breast pieces into the pot and cover. Place the pot in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Add the chicken breasts to the pot and stir. Place the pot back in the oven and cook, uncovered, until the internal temperature of the breasts reach 160°F.
Remove the chicken once fully cooked and taste the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and mix in the parsley and basil. Serve with crusty bread to mop up all of the sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Chicken. A broiler chicken of about 4 pounds is recommended. After breaking donw the chicken, the backbone can be saved for stock. 3 pounds of chicken thighs can be subbed for the whole chicken. When using a whole chicken, make sure to hold off on adding the sear breasts to the sauce until the last 20-30 minutes since white meat can dry out with the long cooking time.
Salting the chicken. If you can, break down the chicken the day before and salt. Place the chicken on a wire rack and refrigerate uncovered. Salt at a ratio of around 1%. So if you have 3 pounds of chicken pieces, you would need to use roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Stovetop cooking method. This recipe can be cooked completely on the stovetop over low heat and covered. Add the chicken breasts towards the end of the cooking time and crack the lid. If the sauce drys out, add a bit of chicken stock or water to loosen it up.
Lard. Olive oil and/or butter can be subbed for the lard.
Tomatoes. One 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes is used but you can sub about fresh plum tomatoes for this dish or about 1.5 pounds of cherry tomatoes. If you don't have enough liquid in the pan use a bit of chicken stock or water to loosen it up.
Hot peppers. You can use whole hot peppers for this dish. Calabrian chili peppers, cherry peppers, and long hots all work well. I used 2 teaspoons of crushed hot red pepper flakes and about 1 teaspoon of calabrian chili paste. Use as much or little heat as you like.
Leftovers. Pollo alla potentina can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat in the oven at 350f until warmed through.

Nutrition

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