An Italian evening

We had a wonderful Italian evening tonite thanks to Sunset magazine!

I tried the Italian stew they had listed this month.

Chicken Stew with Olives and Lemon
From Sunset Magazine

Boned, skinned chicken thighs are just as convenient as breasts, and they have an added advantage: Their succulent texture and robust flavor stand up well to braising. Add the flavors of Italian salsa verde--bright parsley, tart lemon, piquant capers, and green olives--for a fresh, fast twist on cold-weather cooking. Prep and Cook Time: about 45 minutes. Notes: To save prep time, cube the potatoes or mince the garlic and capers while the chicken browns. Then, while the stew simmers, you can chop the parsley and juice the lemon.

1 pound boned, skinned chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons each salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon capers, drained and minced
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-in. cubes
1 package (8 oz.) thawed frozen artichoke hearts, quartered if large
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup pitted medium green olives
Lemon wedges

1. Cut each chicken thigh into 2 or 3 chunks. In a resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Add chicken, seal, and shake to coat.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken (discard excess flour) in a single layer and cook, turning once, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, capers, and lemon zest and stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and simmer, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, and chicken and return to a simmer. Lower heat slightly to maintain simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes.

4. Add artichokes to pot and stir. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, lemon juice to taste, and olives. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with lemon wedges on the side.

Pared with a loaf of Hot toasty Italian bread (from King Soopers) with a dish of balsamic and olive oil to dip it in. And the Wine hand selected by the Somier at the liquor store picked out for us (I used it in the recipe as well - a 2005 Beringer Pinot Grigio).

Some Opera playing softly in the background and the evening was complete, now to get the little ones off to bed.