The PERFECT Chicken Scarpariello At Home | The Cooking Show

Quick Overview

The host successfully prepares Chicken Scarpariello, a braised Italian-American dish from Sicily, by searing bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and sausages, then simmering them in a sauce made from onions, peppers (sweet and hot cherry peppers), garlic, white wine vinegar, chicken stock, and tomatoes, ultimately serving it over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Key Points: The host prepares Chicken Scarpariello, a dish originating from Southern Italy, specifically Sicily, which translates to "shoemaker's chicken." The recipe involves searing bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs until the skin is deeply browned and crisp (04:49), alongside Italian and hot Italian sausages. The sauce base is created by sautéing sliced onions, red bell peppers, garlic (smashed, not minced), and hot cherry peppers (06:10-07:22). The braising liquid consists of white wine vinegar (03:02), chicken stock (02:55), and tomatoes (06:54), which reduces to a sweet and sour, tangy sauce (04:48). The seared chicken and sausages are nested back into the sauce to braise with a lid on for 10-15 minutes to cook through (05:29, 08:47). The final dish is garnished with fresh parsley (00:14) and recommended to be served over mashed potatoes, polenta, or pasta (00:51).

Context: The video is a cooking tutorial from VICE's "The Cooking Show," hosted by a woman with curly dark hair, who prepares Chicken Scarpariello, an Italian-American dish with roots in Sicilian cuisine. The host frequently pauses the cooking process to take sips of white wine, playfully counting each sip as a reference to Sicily, emphasizing the dish's regional origin and the importance of the wine component in the sauce.

Detailed Analysis

The host demonstrates how to make Chicken Scarpariello, a dish she traces back to Sicily, which she playfully notes translates to "shoemaker's chicken." The process begins with preparing the main components: four bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs seasoned with salt (04:05) and two types of sausage (sweet and hot Italian sausage) (03:04). The chicken is seared skin-side down in a copper pot until deeply browned (04:49), then removed and set aside on a wire rack (05:16). The sausages are browned alongside the chicken (05:11). Next, the aromatics are cooked in the rendered fat: sliced onions (06:02), red bell peppers (06:04), and smashed (not minced) garlic cloves (02:29). Once softened, the vegetables are flavored with the hot cherry peppers (02:49), tomatoes (06:54), white wine vinegar (03:02), chicken stock (02:55), and a small amount of hot cherry pepper juice for spice and sweetness (02:57). The sauce is reduced and thickened (07:58), and the seared chicken and sausages are nestled back in (05:23) to braise under a lid for 10-15 minutes (08:52). The final dish, garnished with fresh parsley (00:14), is described as having a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavor, with the chicken skin remaining relatively crisp by keeping it above the sauce during the final braise. The host suggests serving it with mashed potatoes, polenta, or pasta.