Sicilian Chicken

  

Sicilian Chicken

1 whole chicken

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup of white wine
1 tablespoon of capers, drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of dried thyme or a few sprigs fresh (I used fresh lemon thyme)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of green olives, pitted and sliced (I left these out)
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  In a large pot, saute' the chicken in butter and olive oil until browned.  Take the chicken out and set aside.  Saute' onion in the same pot until it becomes translucent.  Add celery and saute' until it begins to soften.  Add garlic and saute' another minute watching it closely so it doesn't burn.  Add wine, capers, bay leaves, thyme, tomato paste, chicken broth, red pepper, salt and pepper.  Add chicken back to the pot, cover and place in 350 degree oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through.  Chicken will pull away from the bone and juices will run clear when pricked with a fork; time will vary depending on the size of the bird.