chicken, artichoke and cannellini bean spezzatino

What did I do today? The second official day of fall that hit a record 90 degrees? A day so hot that it is scorching leaves and causing them to fall into my yard brown and crunchy instead of changing beautiful colors and staying on the trees for at least another month? Well, smart me, made spezzatino. Why? Because I like how it sounds. Say it with me. Spezzatino. Spezzatino. Spezz-a-tin-o. Fun right? Yeah, apparently I prefer to base my comfort level on the way a food is pronounced rather than the hot flashes that will ensue.

But being a flame throwing hot day or not, this spezzatino was totally worth burning the roof of my mouth, which yes, I did. Why? Because I eat too fast and wouldn’t wait until my food cooled to a more reasonable temperature. But that’s just a personal issue I have to deal with. It in no way should deter you from tasting the the juicy, dark meat surrounded with artichoke hearts and white beans sitting in a puddle of broth all tucked under crispy pancetta. Seriously. Don’t let my hot flashes and burnt mouth get in the way. It really is good.

Chicken, Artichoke and Cannellini Bean Spezzatino
Adapted from Giada

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 6-ounce piece pancetta, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 14-ounce cans low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 packed cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
4 skinless chicken thighs with bone, about 11/2 – 2 pounds
12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup beef stock

In a heavy 6 quart sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy; about 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Add the carrots, celery, onion and salt to pan. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock, basil, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf. Add the chicken and press down to submerge as much as possible. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Keep the pot uncovered and continue to simmer, turning the chicken over and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the artichokes and the beans and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced, about 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken and let cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bones and cut the meat into bite sized pieces. Return the meat to the saucepan and add beef stock, simmering for 5 minutes until warmed through. (Meg note: at this point my liquid had almost completely reduced leaving just the vegetables, so I added the beef stock to make it more stew-like and less mushy-vegetable-like. If you still have plenty of liquid in your pan skip this step.) Remove bay leaf and discard. Season spezzatino with salt to taste.

Ladle the spezzatino into bowls and garnish with pancetta.