My friend and fellow cook, Laurie Burrows Grad, loves all things Italian. This is her version of agrodolce, a sweet and sour Italian sauce prevalent in southern Italy. The sauce is always made with vinegar, wine, and sugar to achieve the classic sweet and sour flavor.
Chicken thighs work well here for braising. Their dark meat stays moist and flavorful. This is a wonderful dish for small dinner parties since it can be made ahead. In fact, it is best to make a day ahead so the chilled fat can be removed easily. I have prepared this a day ahead of serving, and also decided to freeze it for future dinners.
This dish is easy to put together by first cooking the chicken thighs and then preparing the sauce separately. I like to brown the chicken either on the grill or under the broiler, which is faster and uses less oil, and a small amount of flour helps to slightly thicken the sauce.
Finally, the pre-cooked chicken is bathed in the sweet and sour sauce. Raisins, pine nuts, and capers bring all the flavors together. This sauce also goes well with vegetables and pork.
Pollo Agrodolce
Serves 6- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 12 boneless chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 large ribs of celery, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup good-quality white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
- Fresh thyme or mint leaves, for garnish
Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor broiler to high. Lightly coat a roasting or sheet pan with olive oil nonstick cooking spray.
Place the chicken thighs in the pan, season with the salt and pepper, lightly coat with the olive oil spray, and grill or broil for 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove excess fat from pan, turn chicken, season with salt and pepper, lightly coat the chicken with spray, and continue to grill for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden on all sides.
Remove the chicken from the pan to a platter and set aside and keep warm. (If you have a fat separator, you can put any extra juices in the pitcher and pour off all the good juices while discarding excess fat).
In a large non-stick Dutch oven or deep saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until just softened, stirring often. Add the flour and stir over medium heat until smooth, about 1 minute.
Increase the heat to high and add the wine, vinegar, sugar, and lemon zest and allow to boil for a minute or two until very thick. Add the broth and bay leaf and then the reserved chicken pieces.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes, partially covered. Turn the chicken after 15 minutes to evenly cook the chicken, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf.
Add the raisins and capers and stir to combine. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add the reserved pine nuts.
Serve the chicken hot over couscous, spaetzle, or rice, garnished with herbs.
Advance preparation: This dish is best prepared a day in advance and chilled. The next day, the fat can easily be removed. Reheat gently.
