Chicken Vesuvio ~ a Chicago Specialty!

 

Chicken that's “Vesuvioed,” tastes better than you could ever imagine!  It’s a meat-and-potatoes dish from meat-and potatoes Chi-Town, it’s indigenous to Chicago.

 

Ummm, mmm!  Delicious!

It's still a little chilly and rainy so this dish hit the spot!

 

I’m so glad we live in the Chicago area to enjoy dining at Harry Caray’s ~ a restaurant that was declared as serving the best Chicken Vesuvio in the city by food reporter James Ward.

 

Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse ~ River North

I really miss Harry announcing for the Cubs, he was the best!!!

In fact, in many Chicago-area restaurants, you’ll often notice the “Vesurvio” technique applied to other foods such as Veal Vesuriov, Vesuvio Potatoes, and Steak Vesuvio.

Supposedly, named after the Mount Vesuvius volcano near Naples, Chicken Vesuvio is the specialty of Italian-American restaurants in Chicago and the burbs, Chicken Vesuvio became a regal offering.

With the background of this Italian-American classic being a bit vague, some speculate that chicken Vesuvio was so named because after adding wine to the oil, the dish started smoking like a volcano, yet others insist that the name was popularized by the Vesuvio restaurant in Chicago in the 1930’s.

Recently, I finally made the leap and cooked it at home.  The dish is all about chicken on the bone sautéed with gobs of garlic, salt and pepper, and oregano, a healthy splash of white wine, and olive oil, with hearty wedges of potatoes and sweet PEAS joining the mix, which is then finished by baking until crisp.

 

 

What a dish ~ and it isn’t Chicken Vesuvio without peas, realistically, they’re probably more for color than flavor!

 

 

I read somewhere when adding wine to a dish, a high acidity wine is best to use, one that is a dry, crisp white wine such as Pinot Grigio.  

Pinot Grigio is a good go-to wine that is extremely versatile and can be used in a wide variety of Italian dishes.  It delivers a mellow flavor that’s neutral and crisp, and it doesn’t necessitate spending extra money on it, a moderately priced wine is good, and great in this dish.

This isn’t a trendy dish, nothing new, and you rarely see it posted on Instagram. 

It’s a beloved delicious dish that’s cooked in a single skillet along with a garlicky white wine sauce that’s good for dunking bread.  The sauce is that good, so have plenty of fresh bread on the table!

Just give this a try ~ maybe you’ll be completely smitten!

 

 

Chicken Vesuvio

Servings: 2-4

Prep time: 20 MinCooking time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 4 M

This was voted Best Chicken Vesuvio in Chicago. It's 'almost' like being at Harry Caray's Restaurant to enjoy this Chicago specialty! One of my fave restaurants, the official homeplate of the Chicago Cubs!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 skinless chicken breasts, and 2 thighs, skinless*
• 2 large Idaho russet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 whole garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup Pinot Grigio. or any white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Blanch the peas by putting them in boiling water for 1 minutes, drain, and set aside.
3. In large ovenproof skillet, or roasting pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
4. Cut potatoes into quarters lengthwise. Add to skillet along with garlic cloves and sauté the potatoes until golden brown, stirring so they cook evenly. Remove garlic cloves and discard them. Remove the potatoes and set aside.
5. Trim fat from chicken and place in skillet. Sauté on both sides until all is golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside.
6. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by half.
7. Return chicken to pan. Place potatoes around sides of pan. Season all with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and parsley.
8. Add the chicken stock and transfer the pan to the oven for 45 minutes (no lid) or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees.
9. Stir in peas, 2 or 3 minutes before chicken is done.
10. To serve, place the chicken on a serving platter, arrange potatoes around the chicken.
11. Pour the sauce from the pan over the chicken and sprinkle the peas on top.
12. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes:

This is an adapted recipe from Harry Caray's Restaurant Cookbook.

*or whole chicken, whatever you like

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

 

Enjoy!