Chicken and Peppers from Epirus

This recipe, Pikantiko Kotopoulo me Piperes, is adapted from "The Glorious Foods of Greece." I make it with chicken breasts, skinless but on the bone. You can use a cut up chicken, thighs, or what ever you like and you can adjust the heat and the garlic to your taste. The butter (in Epirus it would be sheep's milk butter) and the spices give this a wonderful flavor and wait till you smell your kitchen when it's cooking. If you must, you can substitute olive oil for some or all of the butter, but a whole layer of flavor will be lost.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 6  tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 3  lbs skinless chicken breast halves, obvious fat removed
• 3  large onions, halved and sliced (vidalias are very good in this)
• 3 -4  garlic cloves, minced
• 4  large bell peppers, peeled, seeded, halved and sliced
•  coarse salt
•  fresh ground pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 -2  small  hot red pepper (dried or fresh)
• 1 1⁄2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

Directions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Sear the chicken pieces in batches until lightly browned on all sides (7 to 8 minutes) and reserve.
3. Add another tablespoon or so of butter (enough to comfortably sauté) and cook the onions, garlic and bell pepper, stirring, over medium heat until softened (about five minutes).
4. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Stir in the spices, hot pepper(s) and tomatoes.
6. Add enough water to barely cover chicken .
7. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer till chicken is very tender and the sauce is thick (about one and a half hours).
8. Swirl in the last bit of butter and serve hot with lots of bread to soak up the sauce.