Ingredients
1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs), cut into 8 pieces (skin left on, bones in)
3 ½ tablespoons Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups canned or jarred whole stewed peeled tomatoes (about 28 ounces)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (plus more for the chicken)
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
For serving:
Ingredients – For Serving
fresh lemon wedges
parsley
pasta, zucchini noodles, rice, cauliflower rice
Myzithra, Kasseri or Romano cheese, grated
Instructions
Rinse and pat dry the chicken parts. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Heat the Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a dutch oven or other large pan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken parts (working in batches if necessary, so as not to crowd the pan, which steams the chicken instead of browning it), brown the chicken about 4-5 minutes per side, when nicely browned on all sides, remove the chicken from the pan and continue browning the rest. Pour off any excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
Lower the heat to a medium-high and add the onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic, cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces back to the pan. The chicken should be submerged in the liquid, about 3/4 of the way, or so. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring gently or shaking the pan from time to time, to move the chicken around.
After 1 hour, remove the lid, and allow to simmer another 30 minutes, so the sauce can reduce slightly. If the sauce gets too thick at any point, you can add a little water. Cook until the chicken is tender, thoroughly cooked and nearly falling off the bone.
Serve over pasta, noodles, or zucchini noodles tossed with brown butter, if you’d like, garnish with fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon, and grated cheese of your choice.
