Spicy Chicken Mediterranean Style with Sausage-Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 (4 ounce) bone-in chicken thighs with skin
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 18 cherry peppers in brine (such as Peppadew®)
• 6 ounces fresh Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers, with liquid
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram

Step 1

Gently heat your oven to 350°F. In a big bowl, toss the chicken thighs with black pepper, cumin, and a teaspoon of salt, then set them aside. Next, stuff each cherry pepper with Italian sausage—don’t be shy, make sure they’re nicely filled.

Step 2

Heat some olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and let them brown for about 5 minutes. Flip them over and brown the other side for another minute, then take the chicken out and set it aside. In the same pot, add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until it caramelizes—this should take around 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, then add garlic, herbes de Provence, and crushed red pepper; cook everything together for a minute or so.

Step 3

Stir in the pepperoncini along with their juices and let it all heat through for a couple of minutes before removing the pot from the heat. Lay the chicken back on top of the onions and peppers, skin side up. Pour in the stock just until it almost covers the chicken. Scatter the artichoke hearts, olives, and those sausage-stuffed cherry peppers over the top.

Step 4

Put the pot back on medium-high to bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover it and transfer to the oven. Let it roast for about an hour, until the sausage is cooked through and the liquid is bubbling. When it’s ready, sprinkle chopped basil, oregano, and marjoram over everything for a fresh finish.