Officially this is a fricassee — that is, the chicken is first partially cooked in butter or oil and is then finished in a liquid, in this case a mixture of orange juice, tomatoes, and chicken stock.There is a bit of garlic, a touch of rosemary, and a colorful garnish of sauteed vegetables.The whole dish is bright and fresh,reminding us of holidays in the sun.

Parsleyed Rice (page 419), buttered pasta, or steamed new potatoes would all be good starchy accompaniments, but you could just offer lots of crusty bread for mopping up the tasty sauce.

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons best-quality olive oil
• 1 chicken (2½ to 3 pounds), quartered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 cup Chicken Stock (page 416) or canned chicken broth
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• ½ cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 medium-size red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and julienned
• ½ large zucchini and ½ large yellow summer squash, cleaned and sliced diagonally
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley for garnish
• Grated zest of 1 orange, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over low heat. Pat the chicken pieces dry, season them with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.Turn the chicken, season again, then cook for another 5 minutes. Do not attempt to brown the chicken or you will overcook it; it should be pale gold. Remove the chicken from the skillet and reserve.
2. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook, covered, over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
3. Uncover the skillet and add the stock, orange juice, tomatoes, and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
4. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and simmer until the chicken is nearly done, 30 or 35 minutes. Baste the pieces with the sauce and turn them once at the 15-minute mark. (If you wish, you may complete the recipe to this point the day before serving. Refrigerate the chicken in the sauce and reheat gently before proceeding.)
5. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in another skillet and sauté the pepper julienne for 5 minutes. Add the sliced zucchini and yellow squash and season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and toss the vegetables in the oil until they are tender but still firm,another 5 minutes or so.
6. With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the skillet with the chicken and simmer together for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and orange zest and serve immediately.

Source: The Silver Palate Cookbook page 112