Submitted by Beth Alyse Snyder, Owner at Guerrilla Makeovers.

Growing up in northern New England meant a childhood filled with long, low-lit winter nights perfumed with the cozy,  all-day aroma of slow cooking Italian sauces. Our meals were always served family style at the table promptly at 7PM, and every night we would all gather for dinner to connect and discuss our days around the dining room table. This dish is a fusion of several of our family favorites, and the smell of the sauce slow-cooking in my sunlit California kitchen brings back the feeling of those cozy, golden winter nights we all used to share. Pour yourself a glass of full-bodied red wine and hearken back to those simpler times, before life got too busy to spend all day cooking a hearty sauce for the ones you love.

This is the second half of a part-two series where we see how changing only three ingredients (one acid, one herb, and one spice – noted in green) reflects a tremendous shift in culture 3000 miles from East to West within the same country. View Part 1: West Coast Lemon-Sage Chicken in Wine.  

Region: Europe
Recipe Origin: Italy 

Ingredients

• 1 pound of chicken
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• A few pinches of flour
• A few pinches of salt
• A few pinches of pepper
• Pinch of paprika
• 2 large shallots
• 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 tsp of whole capers
• 3-4 stalks of chopped fresh thyme
• 1-2 stalks of chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cups of red wine
• 1-2 stalks of chopped fresh oregano
• 14 oz. can of whole peeled plum tomatoes (unsalted)
•  Add 1/4 tsp. of allspice
• 8-12 oz. stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 2 tsp of light brown sugar (to taste)
• 1-1.5 cups of grated fresh parmesan or romano cheese

Preparation

Chicken

• Melt 1/4 c. olive oil and 2 tbsp unsalted butter in a large high-sided pan or Dutch Oven
• Lightly flour, salt, and pepper chicken cutlets, and dust with paprika
• Sautée chicken evenly on both sides until cooked through
• Set chicken aside, cover and let rest, reserving sautée oils in pan.

Sauce

• Sautée 2 large, finely chopped shallots in the oil and butter mixture until translucent
• Add 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic
• Add 1 tsp of whole capers
• Add 3-4 stalks of chopped fresh thyme
• Add 1-2 stalks of chopped fresh rosemary
• Deglaze the pan with 2 c. of red wine
• Add 1-2 stalks of chopped fresh oregano
• Add in a 14 oz. can of whole peeled plum tomatoes (unsalted); cut each one in half and crush them up as they cook.
• Add 1/4 tsp. of allspice
• Add 8-12 oz. stock (chicken or vegetable)
• Add 2 tsp of light brown sugar (to taste)
• Add 1-1.5 cups of grated fresh parmesan or romano cheese
• Pepper and salt (VERY lightly) to taste
• Simmer until sauce is at desired thickness (this will take about twice as long as it will for the Lemon-Sage Chicken in Wine.)
• Top chicken cutlets with sauce and finish with chopped fresh herbs.