chicken vesuvio

Chicken Vesuvio is an Italian-American dish which originated from Chicago,

Illinois. It was named after Mt. Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy; this dish

 has chilies hence the name but it’s not really that spicy hot, although

 I guess you could make it so if you want to. It is delicious so full of

flavor with minimum effort to make. It is typically finished in the oven but

I prefer to cook it entirely over the stove with medium low heat/fire, simmer

 until the chicken is tender.

 Chicken Vesuvio fits the bill (for me) for this kind of day: chicken, potatoes,

 and veggies stewed in a garlic oregano broth.

It is an Italian-American dish made from chickenon the bone and

 wedges of potato, celery, and carrots; sauteed with garlic, oregano,

white wine and olive oil, then baked until the chicken's skin becomes

crisp. The dish is often garnished with a few green peas for color.

Chicken Vesuvio ~ Chicago Style

Chicken Vesuvio From the Windy City

This dish is said to be a regular item in the windy city of Chicago. Tender

 chicken and potatoes swimming in a garlicky herb white wine sauce. This

 one-pot meal is easy to prepare. Basically, you…sauté some seasoned

 chicken, then some potatoes. Next, you add some garlic and white wine.

 Then you let it cook and do its own thing.

 It’s pretty easy to make and the ingredients are minimal: chicken

 pieces, seasonings, garlic, potatoes, white wine, broth and peas. The

 seasonings only consist of salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano

 (which always works great on poultry). As with any comfort dish,

 it takes a little time to cook,

Vesuvio seems to be a specialty dish in Chicago. It’s an Italian-American

 dish which originated around the 1930’s. Harry Carey’s boasts having

 best Vesuvio but we still prefer La Fontanella’s on 24th and Oakley’s for

 the tastiest Vesuvio in the city. This technique can also be applied to

pork chops, veal, steaks or even salmon. But the chicken

 always seem to be the best.

'

Chicken vesuvio is an Italian-American dish traditionally made of

 chicken on the bone, wedges of russet potatoes, green peas, dry

 white wine, chicken stock, lots of garlic and oregano. A specialty

 of Chicago, variations can be made in which other vegetables can

 be added such as mushrooms, artichokes and/or peppers. In this

 recipe, I added red and green peppers and used both rose and

white potatoes rather than russets. I also started the recipe with

good quality mild Italian sausage which I

browned before chicken.

The  addition of the sausages was inspired by a great Italian cook

and restauranteur, Lidia Bastianich.  Most chicken vesuvio recipes

 do not include sausages, but the addition brought a depth of flavor

 onto an already intensely flavored dish. Trust me… the addition of

 the Italian sausage is all worth it.

 With or without it, you will find

I've had chicken vesuvio at local restaurants and it's such an aromatic

 dish. Unsurprisingly, the garlic and herbs really bring a delicious smell

 to the kitchen, especially when the white wine is introduced. To start

off, the chicken is browned in a large dutch oven. After browning, the

 chicken is set aside and the potatoes jump into the pot

 with garlic and onions.

The bottom of the pot is full of flavorful fond and it's deglazed with

 white wine and chicken broth. Oregano and thyme is added and

the chicken is brought back to the pot. After it comes to a boil, transfer

the pot to the oven to finish cooking. The artichokes are added

towards the end just before serving and the finishing touch is the

buttery sauce made with the renderings of the dish.

Chicken Vesuvio
recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken thighs with skin and bones
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes, halved
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat the oil in large ovenproof pot over high heat. Sprinkle

the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches if necessary,

cook the chicken in the pot until golden brown on all sides, about

 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.

Carefully add the garlic and onions to the same pot and cook until

 softened. Add the potatoes and cook until they are golden brown,

 stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and stir to

scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the broth,

oregano, and thyme. Return the chicken to the pot, nestling them

 on top of the potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Once you reach a boil, cover the pot and bake in the oven until the

 chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pot

from the oven and transfer the chicken to a platter. Arrange the

 potatoes around chicken.

 sauce over the dish and serve.