Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Cut each chicken thigh in half widthwise. Salt and pepper (with black pepper) chicken pieces. Coat lightly with flour and set aside.
2. Place 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven or deep pot. Heat on medium-high heat.
3. Stir 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic into the hot olive oil and immediately add the chicken pieces. Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is golden brown on both sides (about 8 to 10 minutes). Remove chicken and reserve. We found that not all the chicken pieces would fit in the bottom of the pan at once and so the chicken had to be cooked in batches, which required more olive oil.
4. After chicken is removed, add the remaining 1 tablespoon minced garlic, onions and green and red bell peppers. Saute in hot oil for 3 minutes.
5. Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add in whole tomatoes, plus juice from can, tomato paste, simmer for 10 minutes. Add each seasoning and blend into sauce starting with parsley, basil, Italian seasoning and bay leaves. Simmer for several minutes. Stir in sugar, lemon juice and red pepper to your taste. (We used 2 teaspoons.) After tasting, adjust with additional salt and black pepper. We like tangy tomato sauces so we used, in both the sauce and the seasoning of the chicken, approximately 2 teaspoons each of the red and black peppers and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. This is a very spicy sauce. Stir well to thoroughly mix vegetables and seasonings.
7. Return chicken pieces to the pot, cover with sauce, reduce heat and continue to simmer, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, covered.
8. While the chicken is simmering, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a heavy skillet and heat on medium-high. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are golden and tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. You can also salt the mushrooms as they brown to add meatiness and drive some of the moisture out of the mushrooms. No more than 1/4 teaspoon salt is needed for this job.
9. Add the mushrooms to the chicken and sauce. Stir well to blend in evenly. Taste and adjust balance of seasonings.
10. Serve Chicken Cacciatore with bread, pasta or rice. If desired, garnish each serving with a teaspoon of finely minced fresh parsley.
Serves 8.
-- Recipe by David Simmons, adapted from recipe in "It's All American Food" by David Rosengarten
2. Place 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven or deep pot. Heat on medium-high heat.
3. Stir 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic into the hot olive oil and immediately add the chicken pieces. Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is golden brown on both sides (about 8 to 10 minutes). Remove chicken and reserve. We found that not all the chicken pieces would fit in the bottom of the pan at once and so the chicken had to be cooked in batches, which required more olive oil.
4. After chicken is removed, add the remaining 1 tablespoon minced garlic, onions and green and red bell peppers. Saute in hot oil for 3 minutes.
5. Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add in whole tomatoes, plus juice from can, tomato paste, simmer for 10 minutes. Add each seasoning and blend into sauce starting with parsley, basil, Italian seasoning and bay leaves. Simmer for several minutes. Stir in sugar, lemon juice and red pepper to your taste. (We used 2 teaspoons.) After tasting, adjust with additional salt and black pepper. We like tangy tomato sauces so we used, in both the sauce and the seasoning of the chicken, approximately 2 teaspoons each of the red and black peppers and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. This is a very spicy sauce. Stir well to thoroughly mix vegetables and seasonings.
7. Return chicken pieces to the pot, cover with sauce, reduce heat and continue to simmer, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, covered.
8. While the chicken is simmering, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a heavy skillet and heat on medium-high. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are golden and tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. You can also salt the mushrooms as they brown to add meatiness and drive some of the moisture out of the mushrooms. No more than 1/4 teaspoon salt is needed for this job.
9. Add the mushrooms to the chicken and sauce. Stir well to blend in evenly. Taste and adjust balance of seasonings.
10. Serve Chicken Cacciatore with bread, pasta or rice. If desired, garnish each serving with a teaspoon of finely minced fresh parsley.
Serves 8.
-- Recipe by David Simmons, adapted from recipe in "It's All American Food" by David Rosengarten
Recipe Info
Views
620
Rating
Date
June 14, 2004
Categories
Poultry