Simple, cosy, downright tasty homemade comfort food!
Todays chicken stew is Chicken Cacciatore.
Ingredients in Chicken Cacciatore
Heres what you oughta make this Chicken Cacciatore.
Prevent screen from sleeping
Bone in thighs and drumsticks are the answer!
Bonus: Juicier, tastier and cheaper than boneless chicken breast.
Other suitable cuts Chicken Marylands (quarters) would also be ideal!
I would use 4.
Vegetables and herbs
Bugger!
I forgot dried oregano in the photo.
Mushrooms I just use regular white / button mushrooms.
Feel free to use other types.
So I always use capsicum!
My brother prefers fennelwhich is very on theme, being a vegetable widely used in traditional Italian cooking.
He also threw out the statement capsicum is soooo pedestrian, fennel makes it more interesting!.
The whole RecipeTin Family is very opinionated about food!
Both fennel and capsicum are lovely in this dish.
There is no right answer.
However, dried will work fine too.
Rosemary Using sprigs of fresh rosemary sort of perfumes the sauce in a way that dried rosemary will not.
Dried oregano Accidentally left out of the photo!
Onion and garlic Essential flavour base for the sauce!
I doubt even someone with a really refined palette would know it is in there.
Anchovies Use the anchovies in oil that comes in jars and cans.
The anchovies are grey and salty.
Dont use the white anchovies in a vinegary oil that are more expensive.
These are made for popping straight into your mouth rather than cooking with!
I put them on charcuterie boards.
Red wine Wine is used to flavour the sauce but once cooked, it wont taste winey.
However, any dry red wine can be used, or substituted with white wine.
There is no need to use expensive wine here, its wasted!
Get a steeply discounted bottle from the discount bins at the liquor store.
However, if you need an alcohol-free option, use extra chicken stock instead.
Kalamata olives Use whole, pitted kalamata olives.
The brine goodness of the olives adds both flavour and salt into the sauce, so dont skip it!
Chicken stock/broth Low sodium like.
This way we can control the level of salt we add.
Prevent screen from sleeping
Tomato Tomato paste and canned tomato.
How to make Chicken Cacciatore
Brown chicken skin > saute veg > simmer 30 minutes.
Season Lay the chicken out on a tray then sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
Saute & dissolve anchovies Saute the onion with the rosemary and bay leaves until the onion is softened.
Then mix the garlic and anchovies up with the onion.
Cook vegetables Add the capsicumand mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
The mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate, by this time they should be softened.
Cook off tomato paste Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
This will take off the sour edge and improve the flavour, so dont skip this step.
Then add the canned tomato, chicken stock/broth, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
Simmer Once the sauce comes up to a simmer, gently place the chicken pieces in, skin-side up.
Then put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes on medium.
The liquid should be simmering gently, not rapidly (it will spill over if it does).
Olives & thicken sauce Remove the lid and add the olives.
Then simmer for a further 10 minutes without the lid.
Dozer drinks and eats with his bowl elevated these days as a precaution, to ensure safe passage of food to his stomache.
The olives will soften and meld into the sauce, and the sauce will reduce and thicken.
Serve overmashed potatoor polenta, an excellent on-theme option for Italian food.
Its also lovely overplain riceor just served in a bowl withcrusty breadon the side for mopping.
This photo was taken by Rob Palmer in his studio on a day when we were doingcookbookphotos!
OK, so hes a small inset on the cover but still!
Check one off his bucket list!
Ill share more about it in an upcoming life happenings update.
On the health front, Dozer is doing so well!
Most importantly to me, he is happy and back to enjoying life and food!
Love this darn dog so darn much.
