Chicken Cacciatore

I must say I have quite a few culinary “memories” from when I was a child — I’ve always loved good food and every now and then my mum tells anecdotes linked to this passion of mine.

Apparently, once at only 4 years old they found me standing on a chair in front of the stove, preparing, so to speak, a snack based on the dried cod my mother had made for dinner… even now the thought gives me chills!

Another dish that used to drive me absolutely crazy as a child was chicken cacciatore — a simple yet super tasty recipe based on chicken and vegetables, perfect for the whole family.

A true delight thanks to the tenderness of the chicken and the finger-licking sauce — as a child, next to my big plate I always demanded a ton of bread because in these cases mopping up the sauce is a must!

Last night I decided to make it and, needless to say, it disappeared in the blink of an eye!!!!! Only a meager spoonful of sauce was left and my son, noticing it as he got up from the table, said to me: “Mom, you won’t throw it away, right? I’ll eat it tomorrow in the middle of bread!!!”

What else can I tell you except to try it.

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Inexpensive
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Cooking time: 35 Minutes
Portions: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Chicken (whole, about 2.2 lb (1 kg).)
White onion (1 medium)
Carrot (1 medium)
1 stalk Celery
Peeled tomatoes (about 14 oz (400 g))
1 clove Garlic
Red wine (about 1/2 cup (1 glass))
1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil
to taste Rosemary
1 bunch Parsley
to taste Salt
to taste Black pepper (freshly ground)

Preparation

Start by preparing the vegetables: peel the onion, trim and peel the carrot, and remove the leafy top from the celery. With a knife, dice all the vegetables into pieces about 3 millimetres in size — roughly 1/8 inch.

At this point take the chicken and cut it into pieces, separating the legs, wings and breast. You can also buy the legs already separated from the thighs to save time.
Once all the ingredients are ready, take a pot with fairly high sides, pour in 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil (you don’t need much because the chicken skin will release enough fat) and heat for a minute. When it’s hot, place the chicken skin-side down and brown for 5 minutes per side.

When the chicken is colored, add the chopped vegetables, one clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, a sprig of rosemary and, if you like a bit of heat, a pinch of pepper. Cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes, then deglaze with the red wine, allowing the alcohol to evaporate. Add the peeled tomatoes and mix everything. Continue cooking over medium heat, covered, for about another 30 minutes.
After this time check the cooking and decide based on your preference for the consistency of the sauce. Personally I prefer it a bit thicker so I continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes without the lid; if you prefer it a bit more liquid it will already be ready.

Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.

Serve hot sprinkled with a few chopped parsley leaves.

Notes

You can easily prepare this dish in advance and reheat it at the last minute — actually, letting the chicken sit in its sauce makes it even more flavorful.

If you don’t particularly like tomatoes or are intolerant, there is a “white” version. Simply omit them and instead flavor the chicken with the addition of a few pitted Taggiasca (or black) olives.

To turn this recipe into a one-dish meal you can also add an eggplant cut into cubes and some bell peppers to the vegetables already listed.

AT TABLE WITH TEA ON INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/atavolacontea_/?hl=it

OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES — if you love chicken visit the SECONDS section of my blog, here are a few examples

1) CURRY CHICKEN WITH APPLES https://blog.giallozafferano.it/atavolacontea/pollo-al-curry-mele/

2) BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS https://blog.giallozafferano.it/atavolacontea/cosce-pollo-al-forno-light/