Something about the name of this chicken always struck me as odd. You know when something sounds familiar but you just can't seem to put your finger on it? It wasn't until I read DJ Foodie's very entertaining, but factual history behind this sordid chicken's past that it clicked. What can I say, I grew up around a lot of cultures and the swear words were the ones you learned first from your friends, and of course how to say something nice to their Mom.
Looking through the ingredients, there was everything I like - lots of olives, capers, onions, tomatoes, and a bit of anchovies. Oh no! I love those salty little fishies, but they don't love me back. Sadly, I've developed an allergy to them. That's okay though, because DJ Foodie recommended bacon for those that don't like anchovies.
Other than substituting bacon for the anchovies, the only other change was that I reduced the onion and tomatoes. I had a feeling I would really love this dish, and didn't want to overdo it on the carb counts in case I went back for a second helping. Instead of a whole pound of tomatoes, I did only 2 small Roma tomatoes, and a handful or so of grape tomatoes. For the olives, I stuck to just some plain pitted kalamata olives, and I settled on around a 1/3 of a cup of onion.
I can't remember the last time I've had Chicken Puttanesca, but I can honestly say that whatever it is I had a long time ago that was labeled Puttanesca, couldn't even hold a candle to this! It was outstanding! Had I been wearing socks at the time, it would've knocked them right off...
Now, at first glance, the recipe looks like a lot of work. It really isn't. While I had the chicken finishing up in the oven, I diced up the rest of the ingredients and had them all ready to go. In just a little more than a half an hour, I had a restaurant quality meal that I will definitely make again and again.
As if I wasn't over the moon happy with this recipe already, in a pinch, I turned my little bit of leftovers into a top-notch chicken salad. All I did was dice up the chicken, add some mayo, and the last of the Puttanesca topping, and tada!!! Puttanesca chicken salad was born.
If your taste buds need a bit of excitement, or a just looking for a good time (I know, I couldn't help it), click here for the full recipe and instructions: DJ Foodie - Chicken Puttanesca.
Enjoy!
