Karonis Family Greek Chicken (Chicken Kapama)

This flavorful chicken braise combines cinnamon with a hearty tomato sauce to create a comforting and aromatic Greek dish.  Use some of the sauce to flavor some orzo and you’ve got a tasty side that nicely complements the chicken.  And as a bonus, your kitchen will smell amazing!

Makes 4-6 servings 

Ingredients:

• 1, 3-4 pound chicken, cut up
• to taste, salt + pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Indonesian cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon Kouzini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 28 oz whole tomatoes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 sticks cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup yellow onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 16 ounces orzo
• 1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt, pepper and cinnamon.
2. In a Dutch oven, melt butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; brown chicken until golden on all sides.
3. Crush the tomatoes by hand into a bowl and add tomato paste, sugar, and water and pour mixture over chicken. Add cinnamon sticks and bay leaf.
4. In a medium-sized skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and sauté onions and garlic until onions are transparent, about 5-6 minutes. Add to the chicken. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is fully-cooked and tender, about 50 to 60 minutes.
5. In the last 15 to 20 minutes, cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and put orzo in a medium casserole dish.
6. Toss the orzo with one cup of the sauce from the chicken.  Sprinkle the top with the grated parmesan cheese and place in a 350 degree oven to melt the cheese, 8-10 minutes. 
7. To serve, arrange orzo with chicken and sauce, enjoy!