Italian Chicken in a Pan

2025 Giro Stage 13: Rovigo to Vicenza.

Well, I did it again. I got sidetracked. It’s tough: work, coaching youth sports, winning a battle of the bands…lol, yep. I decided to add yet another hobby and got back to singing 90’s rock classics. So, yeah, I’ve been busy and this was supposed to go up last week. But a dish late is not a dish denied and this is perfect for today’s cool, rainy temps. The good news: it’s super easy and packs huge flavor and can be paired with polenta or mashed potatoes. I know not everyone makes polenta (or may have not ever had polenta) but you really need to try and make my cheesy polenta. The girls have asked me to add this to the regular rotation. Once you try this flavorful meal, you’ll want it often as well!

Pollo in Tecia (Italian Chicken in Pan)

• 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 split breasts halved)

• 4 strips of bacon, diced fine

• 1 yellow onion, minced

• 1 large carrot, minced

• 1 celery stalk, minced

• Garlic clove, peeled, smashed and minced

• 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, drained

• ½ cup Italian white wine

• Fresh parsley, sage and rosemary sprigs

Heat a quarter cup of olive oil in a large stainless steel skillet or braiser pan set over medium-high heat.

Season the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken skin-side down in the skillet and brown for 6 minutes, reducing the heat to medium after a few minutes. 

Once the chicken is an amber-brown, turn the pieces, add in the bacon, and continue cooking until browned all over, and the fat has rendered from the bacon,about 15 minutes in total.

Once the chicken has fully browned, remove from the pan and reserve. Add in the minced onion, carrot and celery, along with a pinch of salt and continue to cook until the vegetables have softened. 

Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes into a large dice and tie the herbs together with some butcher string. 

Once the veggies have softened, stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add in the wine and cook for a couple of minutes to burn off the alcohol. 

Stir in the tomatoes and herbs. Place the chicken back into the pan, and return to medium-high heat. 

Once it returns to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, with the pan partly covered, for about 20-30 minutes (until the chicken registers 165 on a thermometer). If the pan gets a little dry, add in some chicken stock or water. 

Once the chicken reaches temp, remove the herb bundle and taste the sauce for any seasoning needs.  

To serve, place the cooked chicken over mashed potatoes or cheesy polenta and spoon the sauce over everything. 

______________________________ Copyright 2025, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.