Chicken Contadina makes a wonderful gourmet meal to serve for a dinner party or for the family. This delicious dish went over so well with the first set of friends for whom we prepared it for, we served it again for a different set of friends later the same week. It goes very well with toasted garlic mashed potatoes (click here for a toasted garlic mashed potato recipe). If eating with vegetarians, try serving mushroom Contadina with this dish. It uses most of the same ingredients, but is made with mushroom instead of meat.

This recipe was inspired by La Caterina Trattoria, a traditional Southern Italian restaurant in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Alternatively, Chicken Contadina is frequently sautéed with mushrooms and potatoes instead of sausage.

Chicken Contadina Recipe

serves four

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into parts (or 4 breasts)
• 4 sweet Italian sausages

• 2 cups white wine
• 3 to 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 to 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp course ground black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp salt

• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped into long strips
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into long strips
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
• about 8 whole pepperoncini peppers

• a few sprigs fresh parsley, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

2. Wash and chop all herbs and vegetables.

3. Pour the white wine into the bottom of a baking dish or cast iron skillet large enough to accommodate all of the chicken in one layer. Add about a third of the red bell pepper strips, sweet onion strips, and chopped garlic, spread evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.

4. Mix the rosemary, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together and rub the mixture evenly over all of the chicken parts. Arrange the chicken in the baking pan or skillet and place the sausages on top of it. Then top all of the meat with the remainder of the vegetables.

5. Cover the baking pan or skillet and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for one hour. After an hour, remove the cover and let it cook uncovered until the chicken is lightly browned and an instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit when put into the thickest portion of a breast.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for about five minutes before serving.