EY YO, Angela! We’re Makin’ Sausage and Peppers, Over Here!

Why is it so damn cold? It’s freezing! Isn’t the fact that we’re locked down inside, hiding from a pandemic and murder hornets enough? It’s gotta be chilly, too?

Weather like this permits prolonging the making of rich, hearty, stewey-type meals, so let’s see what I’ve got for you today. Inspired by one of my all-time favorite shows, it’s my take on Tony Micelli’s infamous sausage and peppers from Who’s The Boss.

Now, this isn’t a straight up pot o’ sausage and peppers, no no. Because, you see, Tony was no fool. He was frugal. He had a house of folks to feed. So, if there was a whole chicken sitting in the fridge, but Angela or Mona or Samantha or Jonathan was all “but we just had roast chicken!”, well Tony would know what to do. He’d break that chicken down and stew it with his famous sausage and peppers. Which is what I did.

I also didn’t take the sausages out of their cases, instead searing them with the chicken thighs and drummies, so I could slice them into chunks later. I wanted the sausages to retain some of their identity, especially since they came from a great source: the wonderful Seed to Sausage. If you’ve never had any of their products, I cannot recommend highly enough that you go and pick some up, or order online.

Anyways, you could uncase and crumble the sausage into the sauce if you prefer. Just do that after you’ve seared your chicken and before you introduce your onions to the pot. I think Tony would have appreciated my method. It’s a little quicker and if you’ve got a house to clean, dinner to make, night school classes to study for and kids to help navigate life, then you take the easy route with dinner sometimes. It’s up to you, though. There’s a path you take and a path not taken, the choice is up to you, my friend.

Once your meat is seared and resting on a plate, you’re basically just making a peperonata, which is a preparation of slow-cooked onions and bell peppers to tuck it all into before it goes in the oven for some gentle cooking.

So, get in the kitchen because, “Oh ay, ay oh!” it’s dinnertime.

Sausage and Peppers (with chicken)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, broken down into 8 pieces (2 breast, 2 wing, 2 thigh, 2 drumsticks) OR 6 chicken thighs
• 3-4 uncooked sausages, sweet Italian works best
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 TSP chili flakes
• 1 medium leek, white and light green part only, washed and thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cored, thinly sliced
• 2 orange bell peppers, seeded and cored, thinly sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cored, thinly sliced
• 1 sprig rosemary, leaves only, roughly chopped
• 1 sprig thyme, leaves only
• 2 TSP dried oregano
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 TSP sweet paprika
• 250mL chicken stock
• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed (optional garnish)
• 1 cup Italian parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped (optional garnish)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a film of canola oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season all the chicken pieces well with salt and black pepper. Add the thighs and drumsticks to the pot, skin side down and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sausages to the pot and continue cooking for 8-10 more minutes. Don’t fiddle with anything or move it around too much. You want some deep colour to develop. Flip the chicken and sausages after 8-10 minutes have passed and cook for 1 minute more, before transferring to a plate.
2. Add the chicken breasts and wings to the pot, skin side down, and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces and cook for 5-6 minutes more. It’s okay if the chicken isn’t fully cooked, it’ll get finished later. Transfer the wings and breasts to the same plate as the other meat and set aside.
3. If a lot of fat has rendered into your pot, pour some off (carefully) and add the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and slowly cook the onions, scraping the browned meaty bits off the bottom of your pot with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add a healthy pinch of salt and let the onions cook for about 10-12 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, chili flakes, leek (if using) and bell peppers. Stir to combine and cook gently for 8-10 minutes more.
5. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, paprika and tomato paste. Stir to combine and keep cooking for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the chicken stock and bring the heat up to medium. Allow the pot to come to a simmer. Meanwhile, slice your sausages into chunks or slices and slice the chicken breast into three or four hefty slices crosswise. When the pot simmers, tuck all the chicken and sausages into their veggie blanket, cover the pot with a lid and put it into the oven for about 8-10 minutes.
7. Carefully remove the pot from the oven and put it back onto a burner set to the lowest heat. Stir the contents about a bit, ensuring all the chicken is fully cooked. If you have any doubts, back into the oven for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then plate with a slotted spoon, garnishing the meat with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some chopped parsley if you’re fancy, or just slop into a bowl and eat, if you’re me.

This recipe will give you tons of leftovers, more than enough for your blended family of high-strung businesswoman, eccentric grandmother, hunky housekeeper and two precocious kids. What’s not to like? Plus, you can easily customize this recipe to your own tastes. Add whatever vegetables or other meat you like, thicken the sauce and serve it with pasta or polenta, grate some parmesan over it. Do what’s right for you. Who’s the boss? You are. Now, get cooking.