Sunday Dinner: Chicken Vesuvio Chicago Style

I think I like complaining about winter, because I always seem to do so.

What I do love about winter are stews.

Luscious, slow cooked meats or poultry with lots of ingredients in a big Dutch oven make me happy.

Good food smells and warmth in the house for a day spent indoors cooking.

For last night's dinner, I chose Marie's Chicken Vesuvio.
A Chicago dish, made of cut up chicken pieces with fried potatoes, a yummy sauce made w/ white wine and whole garlic cloves, broth and parsley, topped with peas.

Hello!

We have Chicken Savoy in NJ, Chicago has Chicken Vesuvio. I love regional cuisine.
My husband orders "Pork Vesuvio" at our local red sauce joint (Reservoir Tavern in Boonton, NJ), it's a similar dish made with a big fried pork chop with a garlic sauce, potatoes and mushrooms (of course he picks out the 'shrooms).

When I saw this on Marie's site, I knew I had to make this.
This was the ultimate easy Sunday dinner.

The only pain was FRYING the potatoes on my stove, which make a big MESS. Make sure you use the splatter screen, and be patient, they will brown to perfection, eventually.

Then fry up the chicken until nice and brown, more mess on the stove.

Get the Windex out and make this DELICIOUS dinner.

(;

Chicken Vesuvio (adapted from Proud Italian Cook & Roadfood):

8 pieces of chicken (legs, breasts, thighs)
10 whole cloves garlic
4 large potatoes (I used a bunch of Yukon gold), cut into wedges
olive oil
kosher salt & pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder (yes)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/3 cup of fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups of white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup defrosted frozen peas

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large Dutch oven heat olive oil covering the bottom of the pan.

Add in the potato wedges and push around until nicely browned. This will take about 15 minutes, so be patient if you want them nice and crispy.

Beware of potato thieves while cooking.......

Add in the garlic and cook a few minutes with the potatoes. DO NOT BROWN THE GARLIC or the dish will be bitter. Keep an eye on the cloves, if they are getting too dark, remove them and discard. I like to keep my garlic for the sauce, but some recipes have you throw them away (what a waste!).

Remove potatoes and garlic to a pan and set aside. Season the potatoes w/ salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder.

Season the chicken w/ lots of kosher salt & black pepper.
Brown the pieces in the same pan where you browned the potatoes.
This will take about 8 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the 1 1/2 cups of white wine. Cook until the wine is reduced by half.

Add the potatoes back in with the chicken.
Add the chicken stock and cook (uncovered) in the 375F oven for about 40 minutes (or until chicken registers 155F).

Add the defrosted peas the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Let rest a few minutes, then spoon this AMAZING garlicky sauce over everything.

YUM YUM.