Serves 6
This exceptional dish, which contains chicken, sausage, peppers, and potatoes, is thought to have evolved with Italian immigrants in the United States. Scarpariello means “in the style of the shoemaker.” No one knows if the name refers to the fact that it was a workingman’s dinner or that the dish was “cobbled” together.
This splendid main course improves if you make it a day ahead, which will leave you time the day of your dinner party to prepare other food.
1½ cups light olive oil
2 small chickens, each cut into 8 pieces
2 hot Italian sausage links
2 sweet Italian sausage links
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 or 3 small potatoes, peeled, boiled, and sliced (optional)
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, in batches, until brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Pierce the sausages a few times with a fork, then brown on all sides for about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausages to paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Cut into 1-inch slices if desired.
Add the bell peppers and garlic and sauté until they soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Add the potatoes (if using), vinegar, chicken broth, wine, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. (If you wish, at this point you can remove the Dutch oven from the heat and set aside to cool. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, reheat over medium heat, covered, until heated through.) Uncover the pot, stir, and continue cooking until the sauce has reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.