Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter's Wife's Chicken)
Photo: Maura McEvoy
(Pollo alla Cacciatora)
SERVES 4
America knows this Italian favorite as chicken cacciatore (hunter's-style), but it's really alla cacciatora, named in honor of the hunter's wife—who, all over northern Italy, might traditionally cook the dish on the eve of the hunt as fuel for the chase.
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 3-lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 cup dry white wine
1 28-oz. can peeled whole san marzano
tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup strong chicken stock
1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, continuing to stir, for about 2 minutes more. Push onions to sides of pan, then add chicken and fry, turning pieces several times to brown evenly, about 4 minutes per side.
2. Add wine and cook until it evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, with their juice, to chicken. Stir in bay leaf, rosemary, and parsley (reserving 1 tbsp. or so for garnish) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, adding chicken stock gradually as tomato juice evaporates, for 45 minutes. Garnish with reserved parsley. Serve with steamed potatoes or white rice.
 Recipe - Saveur.com){kind=link}
1 3-1/2# chicken cut up & browned lightly in extra virgin olive oil (remove as much chicken skin as possible); 1/2# mushrooms cut up; 2 tomatoes cut up; 1 8 oz can tomato sauce; 3 cloves garlic; 1 medium onion cut in 1/8ths; S&P, oregano & basil to taste.
Cook, covered for approximately 30 minutes. Serve, over cappellini.