I use my beloved heavy, black cast iron frying pan to make this dish, rendering down the fat from the pancetta and frying the garlic until golden. In a typical pollo e patate, the potatoes are nestled amongst the chicken to absorb the juices. In this version of the dish, similarly to rombo al forno, the chicken is kept moist as they are sheltered from the drying heat of the oven by the potatoes. The potatoes then turn a lovely golden colour and are perfectly crispy. Juicy chicken and crispy potatoes together are a combination loved the world over. Enjoy. This dish has many regional variations. Pancetta can be eliminated, chopped prosciutto may be added, different herbs such as thyme, marjoram, bay leaf and basil used, a pinch ofsaffron can be added and 5 chopped tomatoes can be added after the white wine has been reduced. Halved new potatoes can be nestled among the chicken instead of the potato rounds placed on top of the chicken (this version does not require an oven and can be done covered on the stove / hob) but I find children prefer the crispy, golden chips. Experiment and find your own favourite version of this dish.