Chicken “Scarpariello” with Sweet & Hot Peppers (Mario Batali)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 sweet Italian sausages, cut into 6 pieces each
1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
10 cloves garlic
4 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
6 whole small hot peppers, such as cayenne or serrano
1 cup dry white wine, plus more as needed
1 cup hot water
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

In a 10- to 12-inch heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, and brown on both sides, turning once.

Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same pan, cook the sausage slices and potatoes until brown; remove them and set aside with the chicken. Drain off half of the fat from the pan.

Add the onion, garlic, bell peppers, and hot peppers to the pan and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and water and bring to a boil. Return the chicken, sausage, and potatoes to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a bubbling simmer until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes; add more wine or water if necessary to keep the pan from getting dry.

Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Stir the basil and parsley into the sauce remaining in the pan and spoon over the chicken. Serve with 1 hot pepper atop each portion.

Serves 6

www.mariobatali.com

Note - if you have trouble with hot peppers use sweet or mild.

Yellow Curry Chicken

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 oz can yellow curry paste
1 to 1 1/2 lbs chicken thigh meat, boneless and skinless, cut in half (I cut into quarters)
salt & pepper, lightly season chicken meat
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, grated
2 bay leaves
1 tsp white pepper
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters (I cut into cubes, cooked better)
1 can coconut milk, unsweetened
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp brown sugar 
1 tbsp fish sauce
a handful of frozen peas or two (I used a 10 oz frozen box)
1 green onion stalk, sliced, for garnish

In a heated wok or a large pan on med high temp, add the oil and all the curry paste. Stir together until hot and sizzling.

Add the seasoned chicken meat and stir fry for about 5-7 minutes.

When the meat is all brown on all sides, add the onions, garlic, bay leaves and white pepper. Stir fry for about 3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the potatoes.

Carefully add the coconut milk, chicken stock, brown sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until sauce has slightly thicken. Mix in peas.

Serve with steamed rice and sprinkle sliced green onions.

*Even better the following day!


Serves 6-8


Grouprecipes.com

Orange-Balsamic Glazed Chicken

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts or any combination of light and dark meat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
4 cups baby arugula

In a large pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high to high heat.

Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. When the oil is hot and ripples, add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes, then turn and sprinkle with rosemary. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

In a small bowl, stir together the marmalade, vinegar and stock and pour over the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and becomes a thin glaze. Add the scallions during the last minute of cooking time. Arrange on a serving platter and serve topped with arugula greens.

Serves 4

Rachel Ray