Sicilian Sweet And Sour Chicken Recipes

CHICKEN SICILIAN

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into pieces. Place a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and heat. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Add the onion and the cherry peppers. Discard any excess oil. Add the mushrooms, olives, and capers. Add a dash of paprika and 3 to 4 ounces lightly salted butter. Cook on a high flame until the butter is completely melted, mixing to keep the butter from separating.

SPICY SICILIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. Put the onions, olives, chiles and bay leaves on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut 1 orange half into wedges and add to the baking sheet.
• Evenly space the chicken thighs, skin-side up, on the baking sheet on top of the other ingredients. Drizzle with the olive oil and squeeze the juice from the remaining orange half on top. Season with salt.
• Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp and golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the chicken with the onions, olives, oranges and pan juices.

POLLO AGRODOLCE (VENETIAN SWEET-AND-SOUR CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Mix cloves, zest, 1/2 cup vinegar, mint, 1/4 cup oil, salt, pepper in a bowl.
• Add chicken to bowl and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours or overnight.
• Drain chicken and discard marinade Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining oil and butter.
• When butter melts, add onion, peppers, and mushrooms.
• Saute until vegetables start to brown (about 4 min).
• Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a bowl; keep warm.
• Add chicken to skillet, with what was the skin side down; sear lightly.
• Turn chicken, add raisins and pine nuts, and cook 1-2 minutes, until pine nuts begin to brown.
• Add remaining 6 Tbsp of vinegar and vermouth; bring to a simmer.
• Season lightly with salt, then reduce heat to medium.
• Cook until chicken is just done and sauce is reduced to the consistency of a light syrup.
• If sauce is thick when chicken is done, add small ladlefuls of chicken stock.
• If the sauce is too thin when the chicken is done, remove chicken and continue to reduce sauce.
• When the sauce is the correct consistency, stir in vegetables and add salt if needed.
• Turn chicken pieces over to coat with sauce, then arrange on plate and spoon vegetables and sauce over chicken.

CHICKEN AGRODOLCE (AN ITALIAN SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN)

Steps:

• In a large plastic bag, combine flour and chicken breasts, toss to coat.
• In a large skillet, saute floured chicken breasts in olive oil with the whole garlic, bay leaves and allspice berries until chicken is browned.
• Remove chicken to a plate.
• To the skillet, add honey, vinegar and wine; cook to reduce slightly, about 10 minutes on medium-high heat.
• Return chicken to skillet, add orange and lemon juices, salt and pepper, and cook about another 20 minutes or until chicken is done and sauce is reduced slightly.
• Remove garlic, bay leaves and allspice berries from sauce.
• Add pignoli and heat through, another 5 minutes or so.
• Delicious with angel hair pasta or a nice risotto.

SICILIAN BRAISED SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy-based heat-proof casserole, add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden, then discard the garlic.
• Dust the chicken in seasoned flour and shake away the excess, then cook in the oil over medium heat until light golden all over-this will need to be done in a couple of batches.
• Remove all from the pan.
• Add the onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until almost soft.
• Add the wine, bay leaf rosemary and vinegar and boil for 2 minutes.
• Add the stock, then return the chicken to the pan and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently, turning once, for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.
• Add the sugar, currants and olives to pan and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is syrupy.
• Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the parsley and pine nuts and serve immediately.