Sicilian Chicken

This recipe is from my San Francisco Chronicle cookbook.

This chicken was really good. I ended up baking it instead of cooking in on the stove, but you could do it either way. I baked it for an hour and the leg/thigh quarters weren't done.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cut into serving pieces

10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 cup fresh mint leaves

Juice of 3 lemons

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

2/3 cup chicken broth

3 to 4 ounces slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Instructions:

1. Combine the chicken, garlic, 2/3 cup of the mint, the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and salt and pepper in a plastic container. Cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 2 days.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe dry. Reserve the marinade.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan. Add the chicken legs, thighs and wings; saute 20 to 25 minutes, turning several times.
4. Add the breast pieces and saute 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken and keep warm.
5. Discard the fat in the pan, then add the wine and cook over high heat until reduced by half. Add the chicken broth and reserved marinade and cook over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup.
6. Taste for seasoning, then pour the sauce over chicken.
7. Garnish with almonds and the remaining mint.