Sicilian Chicken Agridulce with Caperberries – Pollo Agridulce con Capperi Cucunci

Sicilian chicken is an authentic Sicilian dish with Mediterranean flavors. This strikingly simple but amazingly flavorful dish can be served over pasta, but also goes great with rice or mashed potatoes. Ingredients are simple and the dish is fairly easy and quick to make. The cooking process is forgiving; the key being in proper browning of meat and fennel. If you can mange those two tasks successfully, the rest of it just falls in place. It is served immediately, but I find it even more flavorful on the following day.

The sweet and sour chicken recipe is from the menu of the restaurant “Lo Scudiero” in Palermo, Italy. It was developed by chef Greg Easter who cooked in this restaurant at the time.

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Sicilian Chicken Agridulce

A Sweet and Sour Chicken with Mediterranean Flavor!

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword

Caperberries, Chicken

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1 fryer chicken cut in 10 pieces (back not used)
• 300 g fennel bulbs cut into broad strips
• 300 g onions coarsely chopped
• 12 caperberries (not capers) drained and rinsed
• 6 garlic cloves sliced
• 2+2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1+1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 30 ml white wine
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• pepper freshly ground

Course Main Dish Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean Keyword Caperberries, Chicken Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 60 minutes Servings servings Ingredients 1 fryer chicken cut in 10 pieces (back not used) 300 g fennel bulbs cut into broad strips 300 g onions coarsely chopped 12 caperberries (not capers) drained and rinsed 6 garlic cloves sliced 2+2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1+1 tbsp granulated sugar 30 ml white wine 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 3/4 tsp sea salt pepper freshly ground

Instructions

1. Over medium high heat (6.5 out of 10) heat up 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Add fennel, sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar and 3/4 tsp sea salt and start browning, stirring occasionally. Once fennel starts browning, reduce heat to medium low (4 out of 10). Cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes and put aside.

   
3. Cut chicken in 10 pieces, sprinkle with salt on both sides.
4. In large skillet over medium high heat (7 out of 10), add 2 tbsp olive oil and brown meat in batches. Do not overcrowd the meat, brown 3-4 pieces at the time. Transfer browned meat to a plate and put aside.
5. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent and then deglaze the bottom with white wine.
6. In the deglazed skillet with onions, add browned fennel, garlic, caperberries and 2 tbsp sugar, stir it all together.
7. Place browned chicken pieces on top of the vegetable bed in the skillet, add freshly ground pepper.
8. Pour in red wine vinegar and cook uncovered for 3 minutes, put the lid on.
9. Turn the heat down to medium low (2 out of 10) and cook on low simmer for 20 minutes.
10. Remove lid, increase heat to medium (5 out of 10) and cook for 6-7 minutes to thicken the sauce.

    
11. Remove from heat, cover and rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm over bed of pasta.

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