A New Life for an Old Dutch Oven...Rustic Italian Chicken

Last week, I was reading a cook book, and ran across a recipe that required a cast iron dutch oven.  I quickly realized, I don't have a cast iron dutch oven, and only own one cast iron pan, and it is a skillet my sister-in-law gave me and I use to make cornbread.  I have a complete set of stainless steel cookware, but it doesn't include a dutch oven.  My memory jogged, and I knew I have seen a cast iron dutch oven somewhere, and it was not that long ago.  So, like any country girl on a mission, I fervently tried to remember where, oh where could I have seen a dutch oven.  Finally it came to me...Maw Maw!  She had one collecting years of dust on a shelf in her garage.  I quickly picked up the phone and called, hoping she would be having a great day, and would understand my need to rescue the old dutch oven and lovingly restore it back to health.

She answered the phone, and it so happened to be a good day.  She not only let me have the one I was looking for, but she also gave me a big one that has little feet on the bottom.  I am not sure what I will do with it, but it needs to be loved too.  I brought the sad, lifeless, dust coved dutch oven home, and contemplated what in the world was I thinking.  There has to be a reason why people have moved away from cast iron...it is such a pain in the neck...why would I want to try and scour old, dried on beans from a pot that has been in a garage for the last decade.  With the recipe in my mind, I quickly overcame my doubts and doned my rubber gloves and attacked the dutch oven with a brand new SOS pad. 

I know you are not supposed to scour a cast iron pan, that you will ruin the "seasoning."  That the patina will be gone forever.  I just couldn't stand the thought of decade old beans cooked onto the dutch oven.  I started cleaning and soon, the bean residue was gone, and it had a fresh coat of oil on the once loved dutch oven.  I put it in the oven and let the oil season the pan once more.  Soon, the stuck on, dried on beans were only a memory, and the dutch oven was restored to it's former glory.

Now, you know, I was dying to try something in my new dutch oven.  Ok, it is not new, but it's new to me!  My family is not much on stewed meats, but for some reason a chicken dish using all of the legs and thighs i picked up a few weeks ago on sale sounded super good. We all love pasta and Italian food, so why not a delicious chicken dish cooked with tomatoes.  My Mom made a chiken dish she called "Red Chicken."  I know, super original...here is the jist of the dish.  Place the chicken pieces in a pan, cover with Pace picante sauce, and bake until it falls off the bone.

I didn't have any Pace picante sauce...not even something I reguarally buy, so I came up with my own "Red Chicken." 

I started with a strip of bacon to season the pan.  Then I realized I don't have any onions, but did have a bag of pearl onions.  I put the entire bag in the pan with the rendered bacon.  Added two cans of petite diced tomatoes, lots and lots of garlic, a little chicken bullion, salt and pepper.  I then placed the chicken on top and placed the lid on the pan and stuck it in the oven.  I baked it for 2 hours at 350 degrees and waited to see the results.  I then removed the fall off the bone chicken and skimmed the fat.  Knowing that my sweet little Pickle will baulk at the any sight of onions, I quickly pureed the onions and tomatoes and then returned it to the pan.  On the stove top, I added a splash of red wine and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning, and boiled up some pasta.  We enjoyed the chicken with a side of pasta, garlic bread and a fresh salad.  This was definitely a delicious, warm lunch that was just the perfect meal for a quiet Saturday afternoon.

So, here are the pictures...



Start by rendering a strip of bacon over medium high heat.




Stir in one bag of frozen pearl onions...




Add two cans of petite diced tomatoes.




Lay the chicken legs and thighs on top.  I took the skin off to save a few calories.




Place in the oven with the lid on for 2 hours at 350 degrees.




Remove from oven and carefully extract the tender chicken.  Cover and keep warm.




Put the remainder of the tomato onion mixture into the blender and puree...if you like yours chunky, leave half of the mixture in the pan, and puree the remainder.




Add a splash of red wine, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.




Serve sauce over some pasta of your choice.




Just for grins...the Little Man and the neighbor's puppy...so stinking cute!

 And now, the recipe...

Rustic Italian Chicken

3-4 pounds legs and thighs, skin removed
1 slice of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 bag of pearl onions (These are in the freezer section with the frozen vegetables)
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons granulated chicken boulion
salt and pepper to taste
splash of red wine
Italian seasoning

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place dutch oven on stove top and warm to medium high heat.  Add bacon and stir to render the fat. Place onions in pan and stir to combine.  Add tomatoes, garlc powder, bullion and salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and place chicken on top. Cover with the lid and place in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove from oven, and carefully transfer the chicken to a plate or serving dish.  Cover chicken and keep warm.  Skim off any visible fat that is on the top and discard. Remove tomato and onion mixture and puree in a blender until smooth.  Return to pan,  add a splash of red wine and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  Give it a good stir and cook over low heat while pasta cooks.  Serve chicken with the sauce and a side of pasta.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. This is a super easy, fix it and forget type of meal.

Untl next time, keep adventuring and looking for joy in the small details of life!

Sarah