Classic Chicken Vesuvio Food

CHICAGO'S CHICKEN VESUVIO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Dry chicken pieces well and season liberally with salt and pepper.
• Warm olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add chicken, skin-side down. Cook until chicken is browned and skin is crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden brown on the other side, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Add potatoes, onion, and garlic to the skillet and cook until onion is translucent and potato wedges are starting to brown nicely on cut sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet and set aside.
• Pour wine into skillet and cook until reduced to 1/2 volume. Deglaze the pan by scraping chicken bits and other browned bits up. Return potatoes, onion, and garlic to the skillet. Add chicken stock, parsley, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Add chicken pieces on top.
• Cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink at the bone, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Return the skillet to stove and remove chicken and vegetables, leaving liquid. Bring to a simmer. Add butter and stir until smooth, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add peas to sauce and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve chicken atop potato wedges and garnish with pan sauce and peas.

CHICKEN VESUVIO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the potato wedges with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out in an even layer. (It's OK if some overlap). Bake, tossing gently once halfway through cooking, until the edges begin to brown, and the potatoes can be pierced with a fork but are still quite firm, about 30 minutes. (They'll finish cooking with the chicken.)
• While potatoes roast, prepare the chicken: Season the chicken with salt, pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano. In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken, skin-side down, until it is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, add the butter and garlic to the skillet and cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and wine to the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add the peas. Pour the mixture evenly over the potatoes, then gently stir to combine. Place chicken on top of the cooked potato mixture, skin-side up. Drizzle any reserved chicken juices on top.
• Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn on the oven's broiler function, and broil until the chicken skin is golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately, with plenty of the pan juices spooned over the chicken and potatoes, and crusty bread on the side.

CLASSIC CHICKEN VESUVIO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Season chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add grapeseed oil. Brown chicken in the hot oil, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate.
• Sprinkle potatoes with remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Add potatoes to the hot skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure all sides are browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes and chicken to a large roasting pan.
• Cook minced garlic in the hot skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour 1 cup white wine into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup chicken broth. Allow sauce to reduce, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour over chicken and potatoes.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
• During the last 25 minutes of baking, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir to create a roux. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine, 1/2 cup chicken broth, and whipping cream. Stir until sauce has incorporated and thickened slightly, 7 to 10 minutes. Add lemon juice. Set sauce aside.
• Stir peas into the roasting pan and continue baking until peas are heated through and chicken is no longer pink at the bone, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and pour sauce over chicken.

CLASSIC CHICAGO CHICKEN VESUVIO

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the sugar, 1 cup salt and 6 cups room-temperature water. Gently stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
• Place the chicken pieces in a large ziptop bag inside of a bowl. Pour the brine over the chicken, close the ziptop bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Place the brined chicken on the lined baking sheet. Pat the chicken with additional paper towels until the skin is completely dry.
• Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat and add the oil. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with the Italian seasoning and some salt and pepper. Sear the chicken, flipping only once, until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side. If the skillet is not large enough to accommodate all the chicken with space in between the pieces, sear the chicken in 2 batches. Set the chicken aside.
• Place the potato wedges cut-side down in the hot skillet. Sear until light golden, about 6 minutes, then flip and sear the other cut side for 6 minutes more. Turn off the heat and add the chicken back to the skillet, nestling the pieces among the potato wedges. Add 3 of the garlic cloves to the skillet and transfer to the oven. Roast until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil; discard the garlic cloves. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the wine to deglaze. Reduce the wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet, about 2 minutes. Grate the remaining 3 cloves garlic into the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the lemon zest and juice. Tablespoon by tablespoon, melt in the butter until the sauce is slightly thickened and smooth. Stir in the peas and warm in the butter sauce for 30 seconds more. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

CHICKEN VESUVIO

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375* conventional or 350* convection.
• Wash and pat your chicken dry.
• Mix flour and spices in a shallow dish.
• Coat the chicken lightly with the flour mixture, but shake off any excess.
• In a 12" pan, preferably cast iron that can be put right in the oven, heat 2-3Tblsp. olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat until it is hot.
• Add the chicken in a single layer and fry quickly to a light brown on all sides.
• Remove to a paper towel.
• Now add the potatoes and fry turning occasionally until also light brown on all sides.
• Drain on a paper towel.
• Pour off all the oil except 2 tablespoons (which will be left in the skillet).
• Place the chicken and the potatoes back in the skillet.
• Sprinkle with garlic and parsley and 1/2 cup water.
• Pour the wine over all.
• Bake, uncovered, at above temperature until the potatoes are fork tender and the chicken is done.
• This takes about 20-25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving so any juices can be absorbed.
• Serve with pan juices.

CLASSIC CHICAGO CHICKEN VESUVIO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium heat. Working in batches, sear the chicken pieces, flipping only once, until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the seared chicken to a plate or sheet pan and set aside.
• Add 3 tablespoons oil to the skillet and place the potato wedges cut side down in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Sear until lightly golden, about 6 minutes, then flip and sear the other cut side for 6 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a plate or sheet pan and set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic to the skillet and let the garlic flavor infuse into the oil without the garlic coloring, 30 seconds. Add the thyme, oregano, and wine and bring to a simmer.
• Return the potatoes to the skillet in a single layer and top with the chicken, skin side up. Brush the chicken with a little more oil and season with salt. Sprinkle a generous amount of the Italian seasoning all over the tops of the chicken. Roast the chicken and potatoes in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Remove skillet from the oven, add the peas and let them heat through. Let the chicken cool for 10 minutes. Pour the lemon juice over the top and top with the zest and parsley.

HARRY'S SIGNATURE CHICKEN VESUVIO (BONE-IN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Blanch the peas by putting them in boiling water 1 minute.
• Joint each chicken into 8 pieces.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters lengthwise. In a large roasting pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and garlic cloves and sautee the potatoes until golden brown, stirring so they cook evenly. Remove the garlic cloves from the roasting pan and discard them. Remove the potatoes and set aside.
• Add the chicken to the pan and sautee lightly on both sides of each piece until it is golden brown.
• Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by half.
• Return the potatoes to the pan. Season the potatoes and chicken with the salt, pepper, oregano, granulated garlic, and parsley. Add the chicken stock and transfer the pan to the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees.
• Place the chicken on a serving plate and arrange the potatoes around the chicken. Pour the sauce from the pan over the chicken and sprinkle the peas on top.

CHICKEN VESUVIO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a large roasting pan.
• Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and sausage, and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. When browned, transfer the potatoes and sausage to the roasting pan.
• Season the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons salt. Brown chicken on all sides in batches, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer the breast pieces to the roasting pan, leaving the dark meat in the skillet.
• Drain the vegetable oil from the skillet, and pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil and the crushed garlic. Once the garlic begins to sizzle, toss in the onions and oregano. Deglaze with the white wine. When the white wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock.
• Return to a boil, and then pour all the contents of the skillet into the roasting pan. Toss in the bell peppers and sprinkle everything with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Place in the oven, and roast 20 minutes; then scatter in the peas. Stir and return to oven, to roast until the chicken is tender and caramelized and only a thin layer of liquid remains in the bottom of the pan, about 30 to 40 minutes more, stirring occasionally during roasting. Serve family-style on a warm platter.
• NOTE
• To get fourteen pieces from the chicken, cut as follows: two wings, two drumsticks, two thighs, each breast half in two pieces, neck chopped in two pieces, back in two pieces.