Chicken Scarpariello

(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS: 

– 1/4 cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour

– one 3 1/2 pound (1.6-kilo) chicken, cut into 16 to 18 pieces, rinsed with cold water, and dried

– 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

– 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

– 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

– 10 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

– 1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar

– 3/4 cup (180 ml) dry white wine

– 1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken stock or chicken broth made from knorr powdered bouillon

– 2 cups (480 ml) canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with their juice, pureed in a food processor or food mill

– 1 small fresh rosemary sprig

– 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste

METHOD: 

– Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees (150°C).

– Place the flour in a pie plate or shallow bowl. Sprinkle the chicken pieces on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Dredge a piece in the flour, shake off the excess back into the bowl and transfer to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

– In a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook, not moving them until the skin is well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and repeat with remaining pieces.

– Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot. Add the garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and simmer, stirring up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot, until the aroma coming from the pan loses its vinegary intensity. Stir in the wine, chicken stock, tomatoes, rosemary, hot red pepper flakes and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

– Return the chicken and any juices to the pot, cover, place in the middle of the oven. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

– Do your best to remove any large chunks of garlic from the sauce, and serve immediately.