Arroyo Vino executive chef Allison Jenkins calls this classic Italian-American dish “You Can’t Wait to Eat It Chicken.” It’s one of her family meal favorites. Serve it with bread, as this recipe calls for, or polenta. She suggests roasted broccoli or potatoes as vegetable accompaniments.

This dish can work with both red and white wines. Arroyo Vino co-founder Brian Bargsten suggests an unoaked fruity white wine like pinot grigio, chenin blanc, or riesling. “For red, select a light-body wine with minimal oak aging,” he says. “A pinot noir from New Zealand is a great selection, or my choice would be Etna Rosso from Sicily. Specifically, Benanti Etna Rosso 2022.”

  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to drizzle on sourdough bread
  • 1 stick butter, halved
  • 2 hot Italian sausages, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 2 sweet Italian sausages, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 jar pickled cherry peppers, drained, sliced, and vinegar reserved
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 lemon, cut in 6 wedges and seeded
  • 1 loaf sourdough bread, about ½ slice per person
  • 1 teaspoon red chile flakes (optional)
  • ½ cup chopped parsley

Serves 4

  1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 14-inch braiser, and add half the stick of butter to melt. Brown the chicken skin-side down on medium heat, about 5–6 minutes, then turn and sear the bottoms. Remove to a platter.
  3. Tip out most of the fat and brown the sausage pieces. Add garlic and stir until lightly browned.
  4. Add the wine and about ¼ cup pepper vinegar. Reduce liquid slightly, then return the chicken and any juices to the pan.
  5. Add chicken stock and pepper slices. Squeeze the lemon wedges onto the chicken, and add wedges to the pan.
  6. Cover and cook on the stovetop on medium heat until chicken is cooked through, approximately 15 minutes. Remove the lemon wedges.
  7. While the dish cooks, preheat the broiler. Drizzle the slices of sourdough bread with olive oil, and lightly toast under the broiler.
  8. When the chicken is fully cooked, stir in the chile flakes if using, and add the remaining butter. Swirl the butter into the sauce, and add more pepper vinegar if desired.
  9. Serve chicken on top of the toasted bread, and top with sauce and parsley.

This recipe originally appeared in "Perfect Pairings" by Lynn Cline.