Scarpariello is often built around sausage and potatoes. This version is not: it is chicken, cherry peppers, onion, garlic, wine and two fresh herbs, and there is no cream anywhere in it.
The skillet does two jobs before the cooker does any. It browns the chicken skin-side down and then deglazes with white wine, and everything from that pan goes into the cooker.
Why This Recipe Works
- Browning skin-side down first renders fat and gives the pan something to deglaze.
- White wine lifts the browned residue off the skillet so none of that flavour is left behind.
- Cherry peppers bring heat and acid at once, and the brine reinforces both.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme hold up over four hours where the dried forms would flatten out.
Ingredient Notes
- Cherry peppers
- A cup, drained and halved, hot or sweet as you prefer. Plus a tablespoon of their brine, which is a separate line for a reason.
- Dry white wine
- Half a cup, used to deglaze the skillet rather than poured straight into the cooker.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme
- A teaspoon each, fresh. They are visible in the finished dish as well as present in the jus.
How to Make It
Brown the chicken
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown it in olive oil, skin-side down first. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Onion, garlic, deglaze
Cook the onion in the same skillet for 3 minutes, add the garlic, then deglaze with white wine. Pour everything over the chicken.
Peppers and herbs
Add the broth, cherry peppers, pepper brine, rosemary and thyme.
Cook to 165F
Cover and cook on Low for about 4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve the browned chicken with peppers, onions, herbs and the savoury pan jus.
What Makes It Scarpariello
This is a short list without sausage, potato or cream to hide behind. Four things carry the dish, and the balance between them is the recipe.
- Sharp1 cup halved cherry peppers and 1 tbsp of their brine
- The defining note. The peppers bring heat and pickled acidity; the measured tablespoon of brine sharpens the jus without souring it.
- Savoury6 browned bone-in thighs and 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Bone-in thighs browned skin-side down give the jus its depth over 4 hours, and the browned skillet residue goes in with them.
- Sweet and aromatic1 sliced yellow onion cooked 3 minutes and 4 cloves garlic
- Softened in the same skillet so they carry the fond, then deglazed straight into the cooker.
- Herbal1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary and 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Fresh rather than dried, so they stay identifiable in the finished dish as well as flavouring the jus.
Season the chicken with the salt and pepper before browning - that is the only seasoning step the recipe specifies.
Success Tips
- Start the chicken skin-side down and leave it long enough to release on its own.
- Scrape the skillet properly when deglazing — the browned residue is the base of the jus.
- Measure the brine rather than splashing it in. A tablespoon is sharp; more takes over.
Serving Ideas
Six servings of browned chicken with the cherry peppers, onions and herbs, spooned over with the savoury pan jus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the sausage?
This recipe has none, and no potatoes or cream either. It is chicken, peppers, onion, wine and herbs.
Why add the pepper brine?
It carries the vinegar sharpness that defines the dish, and a tablespoon is enough.
Hot or sweet cherry peppers?
Either. The recipe allows both.
