Ingredients
Scale
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 3 lbs chicken, thighs and/or drumsticks (see note #1)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Red pepper flakes, pinch
- Splash white wine, chicken broth or vermouth (See note #2)
- ½ yellow onion, sliced
- 3 colorful bell peppers (red, yellow, orange), cleaned and cut into strips
- 1 cup peeled canned tomatoes
- Dried thyme and/or oregano
- Salt/pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Lay out the chicken on the butcher paper it came in or on a board. Liberally salt both sides. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Place a wide frying pan with a lid over low heat. Add the pancetta and slowly render the fat, stirring several times. This could take as long as a half-hour. Cook until the pancetta is almost crunchy. Remove the pancetta to a bowl large enough to also hold the chicken.
- Thoroughly dry the chicken on both sides with paper towels. Increase the heat under the pan to medium-high. When hot, add the chicken and brown all over. Resist the temptation to flip the chicken until it releases on its own. Remove the chicken to the bowl with the pancetta. The chicken will still be undercooked inside.
- Lower the heat to low and dab up the excess oil with paper towels until only about 1–2 tablespoons remain. Add the chili flakes and garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the garlic just starts to brown. Add a splash of wine or broth to deglaze the pan.
- Add the peppers and onions and a good pinch of salt. Stir, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and onions begin to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Stir them into the peppers and onions. Once everything is warm, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. This is the last chance to adjust the seasoning.
- Add the herbs and nestle the chicken into the peppers and onions. Sprinkle the pancetta over everything. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- Choosing the chicken: Thighs and drumsticks work best here. They stay juicy as they cook with the peppers. I don’t recommend chicken breasts, which can dry out.
- A splash for the pan: I never seem to have any leftover wine around (imagine that), so I keep a bottle of inexpensive dry vermouth handy for deglazing. Chicken broth works well, too.