Chicken Scarpariello

Mother's Day weekend. Same pilgrimage: Thibodaux, Mama, the cottage, the food that doesn't need a reason but has one anyway. This year I gave Mama a new cast-iron Dutch oven — a Le Creuset, navy blue, heavy enough to double as a weapon. She held it with both hands and her eyes went soft and she said, "It's too much," and I said, "Nothing is too much for you, Mama," and she said, "Don't make me cry on Mother's Day, Tommy, I already cried at mass," and I stopped because making Mama cry twice in one day is a bridge too far even for me.

Mama cooked, because Mama always cooks, because the Le Creuset was immediately pressed into service for a chicken fricassee that was, I have to say, even better than usual, as if the pot itself improved the food by the sheer force of being French and expensive. We ate on the porch — the whole family, three tables, twenty people. Mama in her rocking chair. Pierre in his corner, eating, saying nothing. Angelle directing traffic. The cousins running. The bayou moving slow beneath the cypress trees.

Danielle got breakfast in bed again — the Beaumont breakfast production, now in its third year. Luc made toast and bacon (promoted from toast-only). Colette made eggs (still scrambled, still no shells — still a victory). Rémy's contribution was a card that said "BEST MOM EVUR" with a drawing of what appears to be a crawfish wearing a dress, which Danielle declared "the most beautiful art I've ever seen" and which now hangs on the refrigerator next to Rémy's earlier masterpieces, forming a gallery of ambiguous crayon work that would confuse any museum curator but delights the woman it's meant for.

Now, Mama’s actual fricassee is a state secret I will never publish without written consent and possibly a notarized letter from the parish, but this chicken scarpariello is the closest thing I know to that same magic — golden braised chicken in a tangy, garlicky sauce, the kind of one-pot meal that was practically invented for christening a new Dutch oven. If you’ve got a heavy pot and a porch full of people you love, this is what you make.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup jarred sweet cherry peppers (Peppadew or similar), halved, plus 2 tablespoons brine from the jar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Season the chicken. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
Brown the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken skin-side down for about 5 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and brown 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the sausage. Add the sausage pieces to the pot and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
Build the base. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Deglaze. Add the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
Braise. Stir in the chicken broth, cherry peppers, and pepper brine. Return the chicken and sausage to the pot, nestling them into the liquid. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken registers 165°F at the thickest part.
Finish the sauce. Transfer the chicken and sausage to a serving platter. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer the sauce for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly reduced. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, lemon juice, and oregano. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and sausage. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve straight from the pot with crusty bread or over rice.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chicken Scarpariello — Christening Mama’s Navy Blue Le Creuset