Pollo alla puttanesca

Ingredienti

• 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 6 large bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 5 fillets anchovies (finely chopped)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup pitted Italian olives (roughly chopped)
• 2 tablespoons drained jarred capers
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, parsley, or oregano (to serve)

Preparazione

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle salt all over the chicken.

2. 2

   Sear chicken: Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof skillet, preferably cast iron, over high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin is browned, 5 to 6 minutes. With a thin spatula, flip the chicken over and cook on the other side until browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate; it will continue cooking in a later step.

3. 3

   Cook garlic: If the skillet is smoking, remove it from the heat until it stops smoking. Reduce heat to medium, and add in the garlic, anchovy, and red pepper flake, stirring constantly. Cook until the garlic starts to brown, about 30 seconds.

4. 4

   Simmer sauce: Add the tomatoes (use caution as they may splatter), tomato paste, sugar, dried oregano, olives, and capers and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

5. 5

   Bake chicken: Nestle the chicken into the sauce in the skillet, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the chicken is very tender and the skin is crispy and browned. An instant thermometer should read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted into the thighs without touching the bone, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve sprinkled with basil, parsley, or oregano.