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Chicken Scarpariello for Two

By Cecelia Jenkins

Published on June 12, 2020

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 2

Chicken Scarpariello for Two

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) chicken leg quarters, trimmed¼ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper 1 cup thinly sliced onion 1 tablespoon chopped pickled hot cherry peppers, plus 1 tablespoons brine2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon dried oregano ¾ cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Before You Begin

We call for sweet Italian sausage here to balance the spiciness of the cherry peppers. Feel free to substitute hot Italian sausage if you prefer a spicier dish. Serve with crusty bread.

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken skin side down and cook, without moving it, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until browned on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate.
  2. Add sausage to fat left in skillet and cook until browned, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel–lined plate.
  3. Heat leftover fat in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until vegetables are softened and charred in spots, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add cherry peppers, garlic, flour, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, sausage, and cherry pepper brine and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
  4. Nestle chicken, skin side up, into sauce and pour in any accumulated juices. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover; and simmer until chicken registers 200 degrees, about 20 minutes.
  5. Off heat, let chicken rest in skillet, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Chicken Scarpariello for Two
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone.

Chicken Scarpariello for Two

Headshot of Cecelia Jenkins
By Cecelia Jenkins
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Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) chicken leg quarters, trimmed
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tablespoon chopped pickled hot cherry peppers, plus 1 tablespoons brine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) chicken leg quarters, trimmed
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tablespoon chopped pickled hot cherry peppers, plus 1 tablespoons brine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) chicken leg quarters, trimmed
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tablespoon chopped pickled hot cherry peppers, plus 1 tablespoons brine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For this Italian American classic, we chose silky, rich chicken leg quarters because they stay juicier than white meat. We first browned the chicken and sausage and then cooked the bell pepper and onion—the savory-sweet backbone of the sauce—in the flavorful rendered fat until they were softened and charred in spots. Just 1 tablespoon of chopped hot pickled cherry peppers, plus a splash of their spicy brine, delivered the dish's signature shot of bright heat, while flour cooked with the vegetables ensured that the sauce would have enough body to tie it to the other elements and make a cohesive dish. Crusty bread provided the perfect accompaniment to mop up any leftover sauce.

Before You Begin

We call for sweet Italian sausage here to balance the spiciness of the cherry peppers. Feel free to substitute hot Italian sausage if you prefer a spicier dish. Serve with crusty bread.

Instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken skin side down and cook, without moving it, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until browned on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate.
  2. Add sausage to fat left in skillet and cook until browned, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel–lined plate.
  3. Heat leftover fat in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until vegetables are softened and charred in spots, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add cherry peppers, garlic, flour, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, sausage, and cherry pepper brine and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
  4. Nestle chicken, skin side up, into sauce and pour in any accumulated juices. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover; and simmer until chicken registers 200 degrees, about 20 minutes.
  5. Off heat, let chicken rest in skillet, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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