Roman-Style Chicken

Holy crap, this is one of my favorite meals now. So much flavor! So much depth! And so healthy!

I made it twice in a week, I liked it so much.

The original recipe is here, but I tweaked it to what I had (not much, though!) and what I like.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 ounces prosciutto OR bacon (about 4 strips), chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves (1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions:

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.


Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the rest of the oil (2 T.) and heat. Add onion, peppers, and prosciutto/bacon and cook until the onion and peppers have browned and the prosciutto/bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.


Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.


If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.


This is SO good, and so foolproof. I once had to leave the chicken in the pot, on the stove, for an hour (Charles was coming home late), and I was so worried it was going to be overcooked. It seems impossible to overcook it. It comes out SO juicy, every single time, and it tastes so good. I could eat the sauce alone. I also typically boil off all liquid possible, because mine always ends up super-watery by the time I add all the sauce ingredients.

If you don't have white wine, you can easily just use all chicken stock. I've left out the parsley and don't notice a difference (but I don't love parsley).

I served it with sliced zucchini cooked in minced shallots. No recipe needed, really...you mince a large shallot, slice the zucchini, cook in a pan for 15 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Salt & pepper as desired. Crumble feta or goat cheese over it for some extra tang.