Shelly's Recipe

Catania-Style Chicken with Sicilian Braised Vegetables

Category: Chicken

1 chicken, 3-1/2 to 4 pounds
Salt
fresh rosemary
marjoram (or oregano)
garlic, chopped
1 nutmeg, to grate
extra virgin olive oil
scallions, use only the white ends, chopped
1 cup of orange juice, unsweetened
4 Tbs cognac
Pepper

Cut chicken into eight parts. Sprinkle each part with salt, fresh rosemary, marjoram, chopped garlic to taste, and a good three scrapes of nutmeg. Choose a baking dish that will accommodate the chicken in one layer and can be used on top of the stove as well as in the oven. Place a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in the pan, turn heat to high, and brown the chicken.

When the chicken is well browned on all sides, add the chopped scallions, the cup of orange juice, pepper and 4 tablespoons of cognac. Transfer to a preheated oven at 375 degrees. Bake for 1-1/4 hours. Baste the chicken with the pan juices from time to time. When cooked, serve it in the baking dish in which it was baked

Sicilian Braised Vegetables

9 oz spring onions,coarsely chopped
18 oz fresh broad beans(before podding)
18 oz fresh peas (before podding)
4 artichoke hearts,quartered
salt & pepper
4 tbsps olive oil

Put all the vegetables in a pan with the oil and cook very gently for a few minutes. Season. Add a ladleful of water and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add a little more water from time to time. This can be served as a side dish, as a soup with stock or as a sauce for pasta. It can also be eaten cold, when a little lemon juice, sugar and mint leaves are added during cooking.

Serves(4)