Late-Summer One-Pot Chicken “Cacciatore” With Peppers

1 whole (3- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups thinly sliced sweet red or yellow peppers (or a mixture), such as Gypsy, Marconi or Jimmy Nardello varieties

1 large onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock

¼ cup red wine vinegar

20 pitted Kalamata olives

3 to 4 whole jarred Calabrian chiles in oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Pasta, polenta, rice or crusty bread, for serving

Instructions: Generously season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt and pepper (if you think to do this a few hours ahead, so much the better; cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof high-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces to the pan, skin-side down (depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in two batches). Cook until the skin is crispy and deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and brown on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a rimmed plate; repeat with the second batch, if necessary. Add the tomato paste to the now-empty pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the peppers, onions, garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to wilt and soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, then add the vinegar, olives, Calabrian chiles and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and arrange the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the pepper mixture. The pan should be large enough to accommodate the chicken pieces in a single layer, but they should not be completely submerged. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven.

Bake until the chicken is tender and beginning to pull from the bone, 35 to 40 minutes. With tongs, transfer the chicken pieces to a rimmed dish and cover with foil to keep warm.

In a small bowl, squish together the butter and flour to make a thick paste. Return the Dutch oven to a burner and bring the pepper mixture and juices to a boil. Drop in the flour-butter mixture and stir vigorously. Continue boiling, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, until the liquid has thickened and reduced slightly. Transfer the pepper mixture to a serving dish and arrange the chicken pieces on top, or return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven and serve the meal from the same dish in which it was cooked. Serve hot, with pasta, polenta, rice or crusty bread alongside to soak up the juices.