Melissas Chicken Cacciatore Recipes

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.
• In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.
• Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE WITH HARISSA, BACON, AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Put a drizzle of oil into a large sauté pan on a high heat. Use scissors to snip the bacon into bite-size pieces. Add them to the pan once hot and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring every so often, until they are browned.
• While the bacon cooks, season the chicken pieces well with salt and pepper.
• Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the fat behind, and set aside to drain on paper towels. Put the chicken in, top side down, reduce the heat to medium and leave to cook for about 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim and finely slice the green onions (both the green and the white bits) and mushrooms and peel and finely chop the garlic. Run your fingers down the length of the rosemary stalks to release their leaves and finely chop them too. Set everything aside.
• The chicken pieces should now be golden brown underneath, so flip them over and leave to cook on the other side for about 3 minutes.
• Once the chicken is golden brown, turn down the heat to low and add the prepared mushrooms, garlic and rosemary, along with the tomatoes, Madeira (or red or white wine or stock), harissa paste or tomato purée and oregano, and crumble in the bay leaf.
• Give it a good stir and then leave to bubble away for 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time so that it does not stick to the bottom.
• When the chicken dish is about halfway through cooking, add the reserved cooked bacon and green onions, then put the kettle on. Use the boiled water to cook the pasta in a large saucepan according to the package's instructions. Once it is cooked, drain the pasta and then return it to the pan with the lid on to keep warm if necessary.
• Check to see if the chicken is cooked-if the juices run clear, it is ready. Taste the sauce, adding a little sugar and/or a pat of butter if the sauce is still a bit acidic from the tomatoes. Add a drizzle of water if the sauce is too thick and let it bubble away for a bit longer if too thin.
• Divide the pasta among four plates, top with a piece of chicken breast or two thighs, spoon some sauce over and scatter with some ripped-up basil or parsley leaves, if using.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl or heat-proof glass measuring cup and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 15 to 30 minutes, until mushrooms are softened. Drain through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel and set over a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms in several changes of water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside. Measure out 1 cup of the soaking liquid and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown, in batches, for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl as they are done. Pour the fat off from the pan and discard.
• Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining oil and the onion, carrot and celery, as well as a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and aromatic. Stir in the fresh and dried mushrooms, turn the heat back up to medium, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a little and smell fragrant. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid that you set aside.
• Return the chicken pieces to the pan and stir so that they are well submerged in the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with pasta or rice.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Season the chicken with Creole seasoning. Season the flour with Creole seasoning. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, coating completely and shaking off the excess. In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the onions. Season with salt and red pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and red pepper. Continue to saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and basil. Add the chicken back to the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Mound the pasta in the center of each plate. Lay the chicken over the pasta. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with cheese and parsley.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Heat the oil and cook the chicken in it until the chicken is golden brown.
• Add remaining ingredients except spaghetti. Cover and simmer for one hour, or until chicken is tender. Remove bay leaf. (The sodium level can be reduced by using no-salt-added canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, and by not adding salt. Fat can be reduced by skinning chicken before eating.)
• Serve with spaghetti

MELISSA'S CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place half the artichoke marinade into a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken pieces until the liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon, and place into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Pour the remaining marinade into the same skillet, and cook and stir the onions, garlic, mushrooms, oregano, basil, salt, rosemary, and black pepper until the onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Mix in diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, black olives, and chopped artichoke hearts. Stir the sauce well, and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil.
• Bake the chicken until the sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and drizzle the Madeira wine over the dish; top with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 more minutes.

MEXICAN STYLE CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500
• In a skillet,in hot olive oil, cook skinless chicken until it's evenly browned, remove to casserole dish.
• Add red pepper, sliced onion and garlic to drippings, cook about 5 minutes.
• Spread veggies over chicken.
• Turn off skillet and mix undrained tomatos, wine, beans and seasonings,
• Pour over all chicken and vegetables.
• Cover with tin foil, bake 20 minutes at 500.
• Reduce oven temp to 350 bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes.
• Uncover and bake 10 more.
• Sprikle parsley over all and serve over rice or pasta, or alone!
• note* Different cuts or sizes of chicken will alter the cooking time. The general rule is the longer the better!

MELISSA'S CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place half the artichoke marinade into a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken pieces until the liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon, and place into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Pour the remaining marinade into the same skillet, and cook and stir the onions, garlic, mushrooms, oregano, basil, salt, rosemary, and black pepper until the onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Mix in diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, black olives, and chopped artichoke hearts. Stir the sauce well, and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil.
• Bake the chicken until the sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and drizzle the Madeira wine over the dish; top with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 more minutes.