Chicken Kapama

The boyfriend saw this blog post about "the best chicken"and we thought it would make a good dinner, but we went for the original version found at this website.  Chicken Kapama is a cinnamon braised chicken, so the meat comes out nice and tender.  We didn't think the chicken itself tasted that much of cinnamon, but it was very aromatic.  The next time we try it, we'll try the Paltrow version.  We used the suggestion of bone-in chicken thighs (Paltrow's version calls for cutting up a whole chicken).

3-4 lbs. chicken pieces

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

1 large onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups red wine

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 cups crushed tomatoes

3 tbsp. brandy

3 tbsp. honey

1 cinnamon stick, (about 2 inches long)

3 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

Grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

Clean the chicken pieces, remove excess fat and pat dry with paper towels. Heat olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven. Add chicken pieces to the pot and brown (skin side down) over medium-high heat until nicely browned. You may need to do this in two batches depending upon the size of your pot. Remove chicken from the pot and transfer to a platter. I prefer to remove and discard the skin from the chicken pieces.

Using a large spoon, remove all but two tablespoons of the fat and oil. Add onions to pot and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add wine, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, brandy, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Allow sauce to come to a boil and then lower heat to a low simmer.

Return chicken to the pot (with juices) and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and simmer for approximately 1 hour. If the sauce appears to be too thin, you can simmer uncovered in the last 10 minutes of cooking to reduce it a bit. Stir occasionally to circulate the ingredients.

Serve over cooked pasta or orzo and sprinkle with grated cheese.