Chicken cacciatora in white — my grandmother’s recipe of a classic of Italian cuisine, just like the Roast whole chicken in the oven with potatoes. The chicken cacciatora is one of the most loved meat mains in Italian cuisine: easy, tasty and simple to make, it represents the classic Sunday dish that pleases both adults and children. Today, however, I want to tell you about a slightly different version of the traditional cacciatora, a variant perfect for those who don’t like tomato sauce, but just as flavorful: white chicken cacciatora with olives, as my grandmother prepared it. As in the original version, the base here is a soffritto of celery, carrots and onions, which together with the aromatic herbs will give the chicken its unmistakable delicious flavor. You can make this recipe with any part of the chicken, but I chose thighs and drumsticks because they are juicier, meatier, tender and flavorful and especially because they are the parts my children love the most! Now let’s go to the kitchen — I’m sure you’ll enjoy my grandmother’s white chicken cacciatora with olives from the very first taste, and I’m equally sure no one will resist mopping up the delicious savory sauce at the end. Also, this is an excellent stovetop chicken recipe! If chicken cacciatora, as delicious as it is, isn’t the recipe you’re looking for and you’d like other ideas on how to cook chicken, try Mediterranean-style chicken breast with onions and sun-dried tomatoes, or Beer-braised chicken in a casserole, or Oven-roasted chicken with potatoes and onions. Let’s head to the kitchen, but before we start cooking, remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Low cost
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 3.3 lbs chicken
- to taste 00 flour
- 3 carrots (medium)
- 2 onions (medium)
- 3 stalks celery
- 2/3 cup white wine
- 3 oz green olives
- to taste rosemary (1 sprig)
- 3 leaves bay leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
- 4 leaves sage
Tools
- Pot
- Stove
Preparation
Remember that if you use thighs you will need to singe any remaining feathers by passing the pieces over a flame on the stove or remove them one by one with tweezers.
To make chicken cacciatora in white, start by cutting the chicken into portions, then dredge them in flour so it adheres well; do not remove the skin. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan and place the pieces in it. Brown the chicken well (you don’t need to add oil) until the pieces are very nicely golden and develop a good crust—this will take about 15–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse, peel and coarsely chop the vegetables. Move the well-browned chicken to a plate, and in the same pan add the vegetables and a whole clove of garlic, season with salt and let them soften using the same cooking juices from the meat (I don’t find it necessary to add oil because the chicken is fairly fatty). Put the chicken back in the pan with the vegetables.
Add the aromatic herbs and the olives, then pour in the wine over high heat. Once the alcohol has evaporated, cover and cook over moderate to low heat for another 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting salt if needed.
At the end of cooking, when the chicken is very tender, turn off the heat and let it rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Storage and tips
Chicken cacciatora in white is best enjoyed freshly made, but it can be prepared a few hours in advance and reheated well before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container and reheat until reaching a safe serving temperature before consuming. High temperatures are essential to reduce any potential bacterial contamination.
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