Chicken with Saba is a glorious version of your everyday recipe for chicken thighs. We tasted this recipe for the first time at Mariangela’s table, in Vignola. This recipe was invented and perfected by Vittorio, her father. Thanks to the combination of Balsamic Saba 3 and the sweet Saba, this pollo is an explosion of flavors: slightly sweet, but with a savory character, and some subtle acidic notes.
Ingredients
SERVES: 4-5 people
TIME: About 1 hour
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 8 (about 1.5 lbs/700 gr), patted dry
- Maiorca flour, 60g / 1/2 cup
- Shallots, 4, finely sliced
- Garlic cloves, 2, peeled and crushed
- Colatura, 1 Tbsp
- White wine, 80ml / 1/3 cup
- Fresh rosemary, 3 sprigs
- Fresh sage leaves, 6-8
- Caperberries, 15-20rinsed and cut into thirds
- Small black olives, about 20
- Saba, 120ml / 1/2 cup
- Corbarino tomatoes, 450g / 2 cups
- Balsamic Saba 3, 2 Tbsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and black pepper, then dust them with Maiorca flour. Shake off excess flour.
- In a large pot, heat EVOO over medium-high heat and brown the chicken thighs (approx. 3 minutes per side).
- Remove the chicken thighs.
- Add shallots, garlic and, after a few minutes, add Colatura and cook on medium heat for approximately 3 minutes.
- Place the chicken thighs back into the pot, then pour wine and deglaze the browned bits with a wooden spoon or spatula (2 minutes).
- Add rosemary, sage, and Saba. Cook until caramelized (approx. 5 minutes).
- Add tomatoes, olives, and caperberries. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 25 minutes.
- Uncover, flip the chicken thighs and let the sauce reduce for about 5 minutes.
- Add Balsamic Saba 3, stir, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Discard rosemary sprigs, garlic, adjust with salt and black pepper and serve.