Murph's Chicken and Hot Italian Sausage

Murph’s Chicken and Hot Italian Sausage

Serves 4-6 and cries out for a good loaf of crunchy bread to lop up the sauce!

It's a very cold day here in Tucson and we even had a bit of snow on the ground this morning.  Not exactly ideal for the Accenture Match Play tournament being played here this week end but a great day to get an early start on one of our favorite dishes.  Tonight is the Academy Awards and the girls will not want to miss one moment of the big event.  Personally, I think the only movie I saw was Toy Story III, a true cinematic masterpiece and I hope it wins every award.  At least that way I will know what's going on:)

Once again, my Mom used to make this kind of thing all the time when I was growing up.  You might say we both love the one pot meal concept not to mention the house smells great from the moment you you start cooking.  

I love it when our 20 year old daughter Meghan hits the door for Sunday dinner and says "mmm...that smells good, whatcha' cooking daddy?"

We 'cheated" a bit on appetizers and  served our favorite Pigs in a Blanket from Trader Joe's.  Truly delicious and go from freezer to finger food in about 20 minutes.



Trader Joe's Pigs in a Blanket with Dijon and Ranch for Dipping!

Start this at least two hours before you plan on serving. 

Ingredients

•         One (2 1/2 to 3-pound) chickens, cut into 8 pieces with the breasts cut into 1/2's
•         6 Hot Italian Sausages
•          1/4 cup olive oil
•         6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
•          1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced ( I combo’d Shitake and Baby Bella’s)
•         1 large onion, peeled and sliced thinly
•          One orange and one yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced thinly
•          1/2 cup sherry
•         1 1/2 cups Free Range Chicken Broth
•         1 (28-ounce) can whole crushed tomatoes
•          1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
•        Kosher Salt
  
•         One teaspoon each  dried Oregano and Basil
•         One teaspoon Italian Seasoning
•          Tomato paste

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch Oven over medium high heat (of course I used my favorite, Le Creuset)

 Season the chicken on sides with salt and pepper and place in the pan, skin side down and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside on plate with a paper towel on top.

Slice the large sausage links into thirds and brown lightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside on plate with chicken.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat until almost smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, season with salt and pepper and remove to a plate.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat slightly and add the garlic and chili flakes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the sherry and cook until almost completely reduced. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, and herbs and bring to a slow simmer.

Return the chicken, sausage and mushrooms to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook until the chicken is tender, about 45-60 minutes.  If your sauce is too thin, remove the lid and simmer to reduce slightly or add a bit of tomato paste from the tube; about a teaspoon or two should get the job done.

Taste for seasonings, serve over your favorite pasta with with freshly grated Romano Cheese.

The Finished Product with lots of sauce and crunchy bread!

Enjoy and know this will taste even better later in the week and this recipe can even be expanded to serve a large crowd.  In Murph’s Kitchen, we are always looking for ways to cut down on the fat so a good turkey sausage will help the cause. Have fun and good luck!