Big Hearty Chicken Dish: Chicken Vesuvio, BBQ Style

 

We've been away, in case you hadn't noticed! Our lives have been consumed with that long and tiresome process of moving. However, it's pretty much all behind us now which means that soon enough you'll start to see some photos with much better lighting that are much less cramped as we start cooking up a storm in our new kitchen!

For now we want to share with you a great recipe that will leave you feeling really satisfied - the Dinosaur BBQ Chicken Vesuvio. Now, I've never actually seen this on the Dinosaur BBQ menu, but it has long enticed us in the cookbook. We cook it here in the oven but it could just as easily be finished in the grill, so it'd be a great dish to whip up this weekend. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Making the Dish

What  You'll Need
1 lb chicken thighs
2 - 3 russet potatoes
1 cup barbeque sauce
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, divided
canola oil for frying
4 tsp cajun seasoning, divided
salt and pepper
1 cup frozen peas

Preheat the oven or a grill to 375 degrees.

Get started by prepping the chicken. Rub them all over with half of the cajun seasoning, getting it under the skin if it's still on there. Let rest for about 10 minutes to come up to room temperature. While resting, take your russet potatoes, clean them off, and then slice them into wedges. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and the cajun seasoning over the wedges as well.

In a large non-stick pan, dump in the canola oil for frying and turn the heat up high. When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the pan, working in batches so that you don't crowd the pan. Sear the chicken on each side for about 3 - 4 minutes, until a nice golden crust forms, and then remove from the oil and place in a baking dish.

Once all the chicken is done, fry up the potatoes. Place them in the hot, now chicken infused oil, and cook for 3 - 4 minutes per side until nice, crispy, and golden brown. Remove them from the oil when they're done frying and place them in the baking dish with the chicken.

Make up a quick batch of the sauce - you can do this while someone else is browning the chicken and frying the potatoes, or do it afterwards, it doesn't take too long. Add 1 tbsp of the butter and the olive oil to a sauce pan and let it melt. Add in the garlic and shallots and let sizzle for a few minutes until they start to get slightly golden. Then add in the white wine, bring to a fast boil, and then add in the barbeque sauce. Add in the fresh chopped parsley, stir everything together, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Additionally, feel free to drop in a tablespoon or so of spicy brown mustard to give it a nice little kick!

Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and potato wedges in the baking dish. Place the baking dish into the oven or grill and bake for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is all the way cooked through. While the chicken is baking, take the frozen peas and place them into a small pan. Add in the second tablespoon of butter and stir everything together over medium heat, until the peas warm through and are covered with the butter. Remove from heat.

When the chicken and potato wedges are done, remove them from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. Then put them on the plate, arranging the wedges around the chicken, and scatter the peas on top. Dig in and enjoy!

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