Wedding Stew

• One 3½- to 4-pound chicken, cut in serving pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup lard (preferably home-rendered; see Notes) or vegetable oil
• 1 small crusty roll (about 3 ounces), cut into slices
• 4 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), roasted and peeled
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock
• ½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives (one 3-ounce jar), drained
• One 3-ounce jar capers, drained
• ½ cup dark raisins
• 8 pickled serrano chiles, drained
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the lard in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; brown the chicken pieces until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same fat fry the bread slices over medium-high heat until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Pour off and discard all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pan; set the pan aside.

Place the peeled tomatoes in a blender with the onion, garlic, and bread; process to a smooth puree (about 2 minutes on high).

Return the Dutch oven to the stove and heat over medium-high heat until the fat ripples. Add the tomato mixture and cook, covered, over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, olives, capers, raisins, pickled chiles, and parsley. Bring the sauce to a boil and add the chicken pieces. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.