MIKE RICCETTI
  • The best of Houston dining
    • Guinness pours
    • Banh mi
    • Breakfast tacos
    • Chicken Fried Steak
    • French
    • French Fries
    • Fried Chicken
    • Greek
    • Italian
    • Italian-American
    • Mexican
    • Midtown Dining
    • Pizzerias
    • Pizza at Non-Pizzerias
    • Rice Village Dining
    • Sandwiches
    • Seafood
    • To Take Visitors
    • Wine Bars
    • Wine Lists
  • The margherita pizza project
  • The martini project
  • Musings on Houston Dining
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2022
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2021
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2019
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2018
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2017
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2016
    • The dozen best Inner Loop values
    • Dining recommendations for visitors to Houston
  • Italian restaurant history
  • Italian & Italian-American
  • Entertaining tips
    • Booze basics
    • Styles of Cheeses
    • Handling Those Disruptive Guests
  • Wine
  • Beer
  • Cocktails and Spirits
  • Miscellaneous
  • Blog
  • The best of Houston dining
    • Guinness pours
    • Banh mi
    • Breakfast tacos
    • Chicken Fried Steak
    • French
    • French Fries
    • Fried Chicken
    • Greek
    • Italian
    • Italian-American
    • Mexican
    • Midtown Dining
    • Pizzerias
    • Pizza at Non-Pizzerias
    • Rice Village Dining
    • Sandwiches
    • Seafood
    • To Take Visitors
    • Wine Bars
    • Wine Lists
  • The margherita pizza project
  • The martini project
  • Musings on Houston Dining
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2022
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2021
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2019
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2018
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2017
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2016
    • The dozen best Inner Loop values
    • Dining recommendations for visitors to Houston
  • Italian restaurant history
  • Italian & Italian-American
  • Entertaining tips
    • Booze basics
    • Styles of Cheeses
    • Handling Those Disruptive Guests
  • Wine
  • Beer
  • Cocktails and Spirits
  • Miscellaneous
  • Blog
MIKE RICCETTI

Mostly food and drink...

...and mostly set in Houston

Chicken Vesuvio, a Chicago classic that hasn't really traveled far from its home

7/22/2017

2 Comments

 
A buddy of mine just traveled to Chicago, and heartily enjoyed the hearty fare including rib-sticking Polish goodness on what used to be near the Polish Downtown on Milwaukee Avenue.  It made me think of Chicago dishes that I might have scribed about in the past.  I finally remembered Chicken Vesuvio, a very good dish that has not really traveled far from its city of origin, which is a shame.

A big, hearty baked chicken dish, it might have originated at the Vesuvio restaurant in Chicago in the 1920s, named after the volcano near Naples (though the restaurant was owned by a native of Turin). It is probably most appropriately enjoyed in a cooler time of the year, but it will still be a hit when prepared properly.  The best version of it that I have had over the years was at the popular, tourist-laden Harry Caray’s downtown.
 
Here is their recipe, from the Harry Caray’s Restaurant Cookbook:
 
Chicken Vesuvio
 
This is adapted from Harry Caray’s in Chicago where it is one the signature dishes, and quite tasty, too.   The original location in downtown Chicago is a touristy spot serving hearty Italian-American dishes – and expense-account steaks – that were a favorite of namesake, legendary baseball broadcaster Harry Caray (born Carabina), an exuberant patron of notable Italian-American restaurants across the country.
 
Serves 4
 
Peas, frozen – 1 cup
Olive oil – ¼ cup
Potatoes, russet – 4, peeled, cut in quarters, lengthwise
Garlic – 12 cloves, 2 minced
Chicken – 1, cut into 8 pieces
White wine – 1 ½ cups
Parsley, flat-leaf – ⅓ cup, chopped
Oregano, dried – 1 tablespoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Black pepper – 1 teaspoon
Chicken stock – 1 ½ cups
 
  1. Boil water in a small saucepan. Add peas and cook 1 minute. Drain. Rinse with cold water.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat and add the potatoes and the 10 whole garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are golden brown on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Remove potatoes on top of paper towels.
  3. Heat oven to 375° F.
  4. Add chicken pieces to the skillet, in batches, if necessary. Cook, turning once, until lightly brown, about 5 minutes per side. Stir in the wine, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
  5. Return potatoes to the skillet. Season with the oregano, parsley, the 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock.
  6. Put in the oven, and bake until the chicken is done, about 45 minutes.
  7. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.  Arrange the potatoes around the chicken, and pour the sauce from the pan over the dish.
Picture
2 Comments
Loring Mandel
10/15/2019 02:47:44 pm

My wife and I lived in Chicago until 1954. We both worked downtown from 1949, and often ate at the Vesuvio restaurant in the north Loop, where Chicken Vesuvio was our favorite dish. The first recipe for this great dish was written down in the Antoinette Pope Cookbook, first printing in 1951, and properly credited to Vesuvio.

All other versions are inauthentic, and some, with artichoke hearts, etc., are crazy.

Reply
Webcams Queensland link
2/24/2021 07:53:45 pm

I enjjoyed reading your post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Mike Riccetti is a longtime Houston-based food writer and former editor for Zagat, and not incidentally the author of three editions of Houston Dining on the Cheap.

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All
    Beer
    Cocktails
    Italian
    Margherita Pizzas
    Recipes
    Restaurants
    Wine

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.