I have been cooking Chicken Campagnola, an easy and delicious chicken entree, for so many decades that I can’t even remember where I first discovered it. Other than knowing that Chicken Campagnola was probably of Italian origin because of the name, I had no idea what it meant. Enter the 21st cenury and Google helped me discover I have been cooking country-style chicken. This dish always seemed upscale and elegant to me.

Over the years, I have added and changed a few things. Because chicken breasts in the supermarket sometimes turned out tough, even though they were not overcooked, I began the practice of brining them before cooking. The brine recipe is at the end of this blog.

This original recipe called for 4 large fresh red bell peppers. Unfortunately doing this adds another 45 minutes to the meal preparation. Years ago, roasted, jarred red peppers didn’t exist; now that they do, so if you are in a hurry, skip the step of charring, steaming, and peeling fresh bell peppers and instead open a jar straight from the supermarket shelves. Honestly, I think they are just as good.

I have served Chicken Campagnola to both family and company. It is a perfect weeknight meal; however, if you wish to serve Chicken Campagnola to company and dress things up a bit with appetizers, salads, and desserts, click on the following link for some ideas.

https://www.charlottestexashillcountry.com/easy-italian-dinner/

Chicken Campagnola

Serves 4 generously

^{Chicken Campagnola served with fettucini.}

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces,  brined 12 – 24 hours ( See recipe at the end of this recipe

• 4 large red bell peppers, charred, peeled and seeded (see below)
  • or
  • two 12 ounce jars roasted red peppers

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch rounds
• Freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup salted chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshy ground black pepper

Accompaniments

• Fresh linguini, fettuccini

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

For peppers:

Char peppers over a gas flame or in a broiler, turning until blackened on all sides. Place in a paper bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam. Peel and seed pepper, rinse, if necessary, pat dry, and cut into thin strips. Set aside.

NOTE: If using jarred red peppers, drain, rinse, and pat dry; cut into thin strips. Set Aside.

For sausage:

Heat oil in a large (12 to 14-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, turning frequently, about 6 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate using a slotted spatula or spoon. Set aside. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

For chicken:

Add brined chciken to the same skillet cooking until just springy to the touch, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Add to sausage, using a slotted spatula spoon. Set aside. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

For sauce and to serve:

Pour off all but a thin film of pan drippings. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes. Add wine and broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits, then add peppers, rosemary, and oregano, boiling the sauce until it is thickened and richly flavored, about 8 minutes. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Taste for additional seasoning. Stir sausage and chicken into the sauce and serve over pasta. Sprinkle with additional rosemary and oregano and serve immediately.

NOTE: If you wish, after coating chicken and sausage in the sauce, remove all solids and set aside. Toss the pasta in the sauce, then plate the pasta, top with chicken-sausage-red pepper mixture, and scatter additional rosemary and oregano over each serving.

I think this would also be fantastic served over risotto of polenta.

Basic Buttermilk Brine Recipe

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt (use less if using table salt)
• 1 tablespoon freshly bround black pepper

• Optional: 1/2 cup hot sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, garlic cloves, fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary)

In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, water, salt, pepper, and optional seasonings, whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add chicken breasts to the mixture, making sure they are completely covered. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. NOTE: DO NOT exceed 24 hours. The chicken breast may become mushy.

Remove the chicken, allowing to drain in a colander or large mesh basket. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before cooking. NOTE: Dispose of the brine. DO NOT reuse.