CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO SICILIANA

alla SINATRA

Chicken Scarpariello, do you know what that means? It translates to Shoemaker’s Chicken. Did you know that Frank Sinatra’s father, Saverio Antonino Martino Sinatra was born in Lercara Friddi, Sicily. His parents immigrated to New York City in 1903 when Marty was 11 years old. His American name was Marty, which is what everyone called him. Marty’s father was already in New York, working in a pencil factory when young Martino arrived in New York with his mother and two sisters Angela and Dorthea. As a teenager, young Marty apprenticed as a shoemaker, but didn’t last long, instead he became a Prize Fighter. 

Along the way, it seems Martino’s mom taught him a thing or two about cooking Sicilian food, and George Jacobs (Frank’s Valet / assistant) has said that both Dolly Sinatra and Marty gave George recipes, and taught George how to cook Frank’s favorite dishes, Pollo Scarpariello being one of them, and the recipe was taught to George Jacobs by Marty, and George has said that of the two of them, Marty was actually a better cook than Dolly. This is now a great surprise, as it is not always the case, but it is sometimes among Italians, as in the case of the Sinatra Family, that the husband is a better cook than the wife, this has been the case in many Italian families, especially in the later part of the Twentieth Century and now into this, the 21st Century, Italian-American men, in many cases it seems, are more interested in cooking Italian Dishes then are the Italian women of these younger generations, and many young Italian-American men are better cooks than their wives. That’s just the way it is.

MARTY’S CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO

Chicken Scarparieello is a longtime favorite dish of Italian Americans, and the Sinatra’s were no exception to the rule when it came to this tasty dish. Chicken Scarpariello translates to English as Shoemaker’s Style Chicken. Scarpa is the Italian word for shoe. Marty’s father, Frank’s grandfather, was a shoemaker in Lercara Friddi, Sicily. Marty ate this tasty chicken dish all his life and made it for his wife Dolly and son Francis (Frank) Albert. This is Marty Sinatra’s recipe for Pollo Scarpariello. Make it and enjoy.

Ingredients :

1 – 3 lb.  Chicken cut into 10 Pieces (or 10 Chicken Thighs)

6 links Italian Sweet Sausage

6 cloves Garlic, peeled and cut into 5 pieces each clove

1  Sweet Red Bell Pepper, cut into ½” strips

2-3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

¼ cup dry White Wine

½ teaspoon each Salt and ground Black Pepper

2 large Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2” chunks

Pat the Chicken dry, and season with 1/2 the Salt & Black Pepper

Place 5 tablespoons of Olive Oil in a large pan. Turn heat to medium flame. Place the Chicken in the pan, skin side down, and brown for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over to the second side and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  

Add the wine to the pan and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove the Chicken from the pan and place in a bowl with the juices from the pan.

Add the Sausages and cook on low heat on all sides for 8 minutes. Remove sausages and place in a bowl with the Chicken.

Add the potatoes to the pan with 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Add a pinch of Salt & Black Pepper to potatoes and cook for 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the Red Bell Peppers and cook on low heat for 7 minutes.

Add the Sausage and Chicken and all the juices to the pan with the Peppers and Potatoes. Add the rosemary. Cook for 6 minutes on low heat. Turn the chicken over and continue cooking for 6 minutes more.

Let it cool for a few minutes, then serve each person some Sausage, 2 pieces of Chicken and Potatoes and some pan juice.

EXCERPTED From “SINATRA SAUCE”

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

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