CHICKEN STEEPED IN SAUCE

One of my sisters (I have two) gave me a cookbook years ago, called "The Romagnolis' Table." It's a collection of Northern Italian recipes. Guy is Sicilian, and his family recipes are different from the ones in this book. Through the years I have enjoyed this cookbook tremendously and have found the recipes to be excellent. On a rainy day in Eastern North Carolina, I started thinking about today's recipe and found that I had all the ingredients to make it. As Guy said after he cleaned his plate, "the sauce is fingerlickin' good." Coming from an Italian, that's a true compliment and testament to the authenticity of the recipe. This is a very easy recipe, so long as you don't mind some chopping. What makes it even easier, if you have some veggies, just throw them in the sauce at the end of the cooking time, like I did with the zucchini in the picture. You don't even have to dirty another pot. If you're not on a low-carb diet, plan on having something to sop up the sauce with: pasta, bread or mashed potatoes. I'm sure you'll be licking your fingers on this one. As always, if you decide to try it, please give me some feedback.

Chicken Steeped in Sauce (Gallina in Umido)

INGREDIENTS: 1 3-lb. frying chicken, or 3 lbs. of your favorite parts

2-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (I always get first cold pressed)
1/2 cup dry white wine (I left it out and didn't miss it)
1-1/2 tsp. salt (I always use sea salt -- it has minerals you need)
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 cups peeled plum tomatoes, cut up (I used Furmano's crushed tomatoes--

BATTUTO: 1 medium onion

1 celery stalk
1 carrot
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (I used 1/4 cup fresh parsley plus 1/4 cup fresh basil)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (Judy added)

Cut the chicken up into 10 pieces, and remove all the fat you can. Make a battuto of the vegetables and herbs, mincing them almost to a paste. Cover the bottom of a medium-sized stewpot with the olive oil, and add the battuto. Saute everything until golden over medium heat, and then add the chicken pieces and slowly brown them in the flavored oil. Salt and pepper the chicken, add the wine if you are using it, and scrape the sides and bottom of the pot to collect any bits that may have stuck. Add the tomatoes and bring to a slow boil. If the liquids don't quite cover the chicken pieces, add enough warm water to do so and cover the pot. Simmer very very slowly for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is very tender and the sauce has thickened and has reduced to about half of its original quantity. During the last 5-10 minutes, add any vegetables you want. (I added sliced zucchini.) Yield: 4-6 servings