Braised Chicken With Salami and Olives

Donald Link pays homage to New Orleans’ Sicilian roots with a dish that also appeals to his love of both salt and salami. The dish has the feel of chicken cacciatore, but its use of olives, salami and fennel brings more complexity. Mr. Link uses handmade salami from Cochon Butcher, his meat shop in New Orleans, but a hunk of good quality supermarket salami works fine. Jarred green olives would suffice in a pinch but they will make the dish extra salty and compromise its texture. Instead, find firm green olives such as Sicilian-cured Sevillanos or French Lucques or Picholine olives.

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 rosemary branch, about 8 inches
• 1 1/4 cups diced salami (see note)
• 1 cup pitted green olives, rinsed and cut in half (see note)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 4 bay leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sear chicken in 2 batches until golden brown, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or another large, shallow casserole.
2. Add onions to skillet and cook in the rendered chicken fat until brown, stirring, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, fennel, rosemary branch, salami, olives, oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour in wine and simmer to reduce, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring to incorporate, for another 2 minutes.
3. Pour in chicken broth in batches and stir to incorporate. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in bay leaves and lemon juice.
4. Pour sauce over the chicken in the baking dish and roast in the oven, basting every 30 minutes, until chicken is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves and rosemary. Serve chicken warm, with plenty of sauce.