In this group of recipes the chicken is cooked on the stove, covered, with a significant quantity of vegetables, no longer just a few as in the braising section above. As in that section, cooking takes place in a moist atmosphere, but here the moisture comes from vegetables, not an added liquid.

This group has been made famous by chicken cacciatora. However, the Spanish pollo chilindron is competition indeed, and some people like it even better.

Preliminaries, 20 minutes

Roast the red peppers in toaster oven  or by other method.

Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry on all sides.

Heat the oil at medium low in the pan. Brown the chicken pieces well on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. You may need two batches.

Remove chicken. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of fat.

Add onions and optional garlic to the pan and cook 5 minutes. Remove garlic.

Place chicken pieces in pan in one or two layers, as necessary. Stir in the ham, tomato, and roasted red peppers. Add salt and pepper to taste.

(May be done ahead of time to this point.)

Covered cooking, 30 minutes

Cover and cook gently but steadily 30 minutes. Turn several times, but cook mainly skin side down for flavor. Ample liquid will generally be produced from the tomatoes, onions, and chicken itself, without other liquid. If dry, add tablespoons of liquid.

Uncovered cooking, 20 minutes

(If you wish to de-oil, now is the time before the sauce cooks down. Do not be overly thorough, as much of the flavor is in the oil.)

Uncover and cook 20 minutes more, skin side up. When done, chicken pieces on a white plate should drain yellow juices with no trace of rose. Most of the liquid should have been evaporated, leaving a small amount of sauce.

Remove skin before serving, if desired.