Chicken with Roasted Peppers and Onions
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skinned, or 4 chicken legs, halved and skinned
1 lemon, halved
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
4 yellow bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
16 basil leaves, torn

Preparation:

Rinse the chicken under cool water, rub with the lemon halves, and blot dry. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Add the onion, garlic, chili, parsley, and bay leaves, and cook 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.

Place the pepper halves, cut side down, on an aluminum foil—lined baking sheet. Broil until the skin is blackened and blistered, about 15 minutes. Wrap in the foil; cool 15 minutes, unwrap, peel, and cut into strips. Stir the roasted peppers into the chicken and simmer 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat, fold in the basil, discard the bay leaves, and serve hot. (Micol Negrin, Rustico Regional Italian Country Cooking, 2002)