Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Basil
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 7, 2020
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Italian Name:
Pollo alla potentina
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ¾-inch pieces¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts cut in half crosswise, 2 drumsticks, and 2 thighs)1 onion, halved and sliced thin¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 cup dry white wine 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes with 3 tablespoons oil in bowl and season with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Roast potatoes for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue to roast until sides of potatoes touching sheet are crusty and golden, about 15 minutes. Flip potatoes using metal spatula and continue to roast until crusty and golden on second side, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of chicken on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining chicken; transfer to plate.
- Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, ½ cup basil, and parsley. Return chicken to skillet along with any accumulated juices and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating chicken halfway through cooking.
- Transfer chicken to serving dish, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest while finishing sauce. Return sauce to simmer and cook until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken, sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil, and serve with potatoes.
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Italian Name:
Pollo alla potentinaIngredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ¾-inch pieces
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts cut in half crosswise, 2 drumsticks, and 2 thighs)
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ¾-inch pieces
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts cut in half crosswise, 2 drumsticks, and 2 thighs)
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ¾-inch pieces
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts cut in half crosswise, 2 drumsticks, and 2 thighs)
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Why This Recipe Works
Every region of Italy boasts a simple, elemental, comforting braise featuring the flavors of the traditional cuisine—and Basilicata is no exception. Potenza-style chicken is named after the region's capital. This humble dish takes advantage of the area's staples: dried peperoncini (of course), tomatoes, onion, wine, parsley, and plenty of basil. Browned chicken parts are braised in this flavorful mixture, and a thick pan sauce forms that is perfect for spooning over potatoes—a ubiquitous partner to the dish. We started the potatoes in the oven to roast while we cooked our chicken on the stove. Many traditional recipes call for a combination of lard and olive oil to brown the chicken, but we found that we could render plenty of flavorful fat from the chicken skin, so there was no need to add lard. We felt that the nuances of specialty chiles were lost among the other flavors; workaday red pepper flakes were a fine stand-in for the dried peperoncini and provided a similar backnote of heat.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes with 3 tablespoons oil in bowl and season with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Roast potatoes for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue to roast until sides of potatoes touching sheet are crusty and golden, about 15 minutes. Flip potatoes using metal spatula and continue to roast until crusty and golden on second side, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of chicken on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining chicken; transfer to plate.
- Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, ½ cup basil, and parsley. Return chicken to skillet along with any accumulated juices and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating chicken halfway through cooking.
- Transfer chicken to serving dish, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest while finishing sauce. Return sauce to simmer and cook until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken, sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil, and serve with potatoes.
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