Café Pavone’s Chicken Verona

Opened in 1990 by husband and wife team Ed Aloise and Claudia Rippee, Café Pavone, or “Pavone’s” as most locals referred to it was a charming restaurant set in an old brick mill just steps from the raging Merrimack River in downtown Manchester, NH. It was comfortable and totally unpretentious, but showed sophistication in both menu and service. You were sure to be graciously greeted at the door by either Ed or his wife.

Looking back, it was more than a restaurant to me. It was a place for firsts. My first bottle of Pellegrino (or any sparkling water for that matter.) First place I looked at a wine list. First place I ate fresh pasta. First place I ate pesto. More like the first place I discovered there was more ways to dress pasta aside from the red variety. First time I ordered NOT spaghetti in an Italian restaurant. Actually, it was chicken. They called it “Chicken Verona” and it was served with an equally enlightening chunky mash of potatoes with their red skins left on and blended right in! I could, and often did, drink from the silver ramekin of sweet and savory sauce they nestled on the plate for dunking. Alas, the restaurant closed after a remarkable ten year run and I had nothing but my memories to savor.

Many, many years later I found myself testing recipes for a project my cookbook author boss was researching when he asked me to test the Silver Palate’s Chicken Marbella. An hour or so later, with one bite, I was brought back to my teenage self. I’m not saying the owners of Pavone used the recipe exactly, but they certainly must have seen parts of it as inspiration for their intoxicating “Chicken Verona”

 

Silver Palate’s Chicken Marbella

(adapted from the N.Y. Times)

Makes one chicken, serving 3 to 4

 

¼ cup olive oil

¼ red wine vinegar

½ cup pitted prunes, about 12

¼ cup pitted Spanish olives (without pimentos)

¼ cup capers, with a splash of their juice

3 bay leaves

4 to 6 cloves of garlic, pressed through a garlic press

2 Tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 whole chicken, 3½ to 4 pounds, cut into parts and breasts halved crosswise

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

 

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a roasting pan; spoon the marinade over it evenly. Pour in the wine and sprinkle the chicken with the brown sugar.

Bake until the thigh pieces yield clear yellow juice when pricked with a fork, about 50 minutes, basting two or three times with the pan juices after about 20 minutes. Be careful not to brush off the sugar when basting and if the chicken appears to brown too quickly, cover lightly with foil.

If you prefer very crispy skin, place the roasting pan under the broiler for a few to five minutes, watching closely.

Transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter and cover loosely to keep warm. Place the roasting pan over medium heat and bring the pan juices to a boil. Reduce to about ¾ cup and strain into a sauce boat or serving bowl. Sprinkle the parsley over the chicken and serve the sauce alongside the chicken.