Fricasseed Chicken with Capers, Peppers, Pancetta and White Wine

Serves 4:

• 6 large chicken legs cut in half (I tend to take the skin off, but it keep on if you wish)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 large onion, sliced into half-moons
• 140 g of pancetta, cut into lardons
• a large glass of white wine
• 1 large red pepper, washed, cleaned and cut into smaller segments
• 2 scant (flat) tablespoons of capers in salt, rinsed and soaked in cold water for 40-60 minutes
• a small touch of chilli pepper
• a sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
• a heaped tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley (including the stalks)
• salt
• pepper
• 250-300 ml of chicken stock
• olive oil
• two knobs of butter
• flour for dusting, optional

Wash the chicken in cold water, pat dry with kitchen or paper towels.

Dust with flour, optional, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat up in a large frying pan or a skillet (large enough to fit all of the ingredients) a couple of table spoons of olive oil and add a knob of butter. Once the butter starts to foam add a few chicken pieces into the pan without overcrowding it. Fry on both sides until golden in colour. You most likely will have to do it in batches.

Add more olive oil and butter to fry the remaining chicken pieces. Set the chicken aside.

Drizzle more olive oil into the pan, once it’s warm add the pancetta and fry for a few minutes until it turns golden and releases some fat into the pan. Now add the sliced onion, season with some salt and fry all together until the onion turns translucent. Add the peeled garlic cloves along with a small piece of chilli pepper,

after 2-3 minutes add the chopped herbs and the pepper. Fry for a further 3-5 minutes.

Return the chicken back into the pan or the skillet (along with any juices), pour in the wine and wait until it evaporates by half.  Add the capers, pour in the the stock and move the chicken pieces around making sure they are evenly immersed in the liquid.

In the meantime preheat the oven to 170 C-static.

Bake the fricassee with the lid on for about 1 hour, checking on the dish and turning the chicken every 20 minutes. Keep baking for longer if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

If you wish to reduce the sauce and brown the chicken slightly more, take the lid off and bake it for a further 20 minutes or until needed.

Serve with plain boiled potatoes and a fresh crunch salad, all garnished with freshly chopped parsley.