Easy braised chicken with peppers in tomato and ouzo sauce

Hearty, filling and delicious chicken recipe to cook any day of the week and all year round! Ingredients and method are very simple but in the end you have the perfect family-friendly meal. Best company for this recipe are freshly fried potatoes, a fluffy white rice pilaf or spaghetti! If you like the idea, try the recipe out using the feta cheese as it is suggested below for extra flavour, the recipe gets so more luscious! 

Slightly adapted from a recipe cooked by Rena Toyia
a well known Cook and restaurateur

"BHMAgourmet" magazine of "TO BHMA" newspaper

Ingredients (for 5-6 people):

1 chicken (about 1.500 gr.), cut in portions

all-purpose flour to dust

2 wine-glasses of olive oil

1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cut in thin strips

2 yellow onions, cut in thin rings

1 large clove of garlic, minced (optional)

1 small glass of ouzo

10-12 small ripe tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped (or 1 tin of tomato concassé)

salt

black pepper

1 good pinch of sugar

½ a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

120-150 gr. of Feta cheese, roughly crumbled (optional)

Method:

Generously season with salt and pepper the chicken and then lightly pass through the flour.

In a spacious frying pan warm half the olive oil on medium-high heat and sauté the chicken until it gets a nice golden colour on both sides. Using a slotted spoon transfer from the pan on to a plate and keep aside. Throw in the pan the peppers and sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring with a wooden spatula.

In a wide & shallow pot warm the rest of the oil on medium-high heat and sauté the onions and the garlic (if used) for about 3-4 minutes, stirring with the spatula. Add in the pot the chicken and the peppers and pour with the ouzo. When the alcohol is evaporated, add the tomatoes, the sugar, 1/2 a cup of water and season with salt and pepper.

Cover the pot with the lid, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 40-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and a nice thick sauce is left in the pot. *** Avoid to stir the food while cooking.

When the food is ready, switch off the heat, add the feta cheese (if used) in the pot and leave on the ring for 1-2 minutes. Then sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.