POLLO IN FRICASSEA CON LE CIPOLLE (ITALIAN)

With Italian-style artichokes canned in water turning up on sale at Kroger's, we stocked up the other day, and couldn't wait long to use some of 'em in a dinner dish.

This one's Italian-style, although it's a personal creation rather than anything based on an "official" recipe. Mainly, it's easy -- I started work at 6 and had dinner on the table at 7.

You might think of a chicken fricassee as an all-American country-style dish, but Italy's full of 'em (call it "Fricassea") if Marcella Hazan is any guide.

I did some modifications on the following to simplify the procedure -- and substituted Bourbon for Marcella's Cognac -- and the result was delicious, rich and sweet with long-cooked onions and just a hint of Bourbon.

Cut a large onion into very thin rings, and sautee them in a little olive oil in a large black skillet until they're turning quite brown, adding a little water from time to time to keep things from sticking. Toward the end of this process, add a couple of minced garlic cloves. Add 1 cut-up chicken, stirring and turning periodically to brown all pieces well on both sides, adding salt and pepper to taste as you cook. When the chicken is nicely browned, pour 2 tablespoons of Bourbon over (I used Jacob's Well), and touch a match to set it aflame. Put out the flame with a cover before the Bourbon all burns off; then add another 2 tablespoons Bourbon and 2 tablespoons chicken broth, turn down the heat to very low; cover and simmer for 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove cover for the last five minutes and raise the heat to reduce the pan liquids a little.

Served with broccoli and oven-roasted rosemary-garlic potatoes (see separate recipe), this one made an excellent match with a robust red Barbera d'Asti, but it's a dish that would work with just about any dry red or full-bodied white ... or a dark beer!