Chicken with Peppers and Olives

Both oranges and olives grow all over Sicily, and those are joined by colorful bell peppers in this exuberant dish that is perfect in any season of the year. Serve it with rice.

Makes 4 to 6 servings | Prep time: 20 minutes | Minimum cook time: 3 hours in a medium slow cooker

1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces, or 6 chicken pieces of your choice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and diced

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup Chicken Stock or purchased stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup pitted oil-cured black olives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven broiler, and line a broiler pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Broil chicken pieces for 3 minutes per side, or until browned. Transfer chicken pieces to the slow cooker, skin side down.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Scrape mixture into the slow cooker.

3. Add orange juice, stock, wine, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, rosemary, orange zest, bay leaves, and olives to the slow cooker, and stir well. Cook chicken on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove and discard bay leaves, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Note: The dish can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it, covered, in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot.

Variation:

images Substitute cubes of veal for the chicken, and the cooking time will remain the same.

Crispy skin doesn’t happen when you’re cooking chicken in the slow cooker. That’s just a fact. While the chicken is browned for all of these recipes so that the skin looks appealing and not pasty white, if you want crisp skin, place the pieces under the oven broiler, 8 inches beneath the element, for 3 to 5 minutes, and the skin will become crisp.