Pollo Alla Cacciatora Hunters Wifes Chicken Recipes

HUNTER'S CHICKEN STEW (POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA)

Steps:

• Chicken cacciatora seems to be reasonably well known in Britain because it's the classic pre-packed dish you find in Italian food ranges in supermarkets (which, to be honest, never taste of much). When you get the real deal cooked at home with love and passion it's a totally different experience. It's a simple combination of flavours that just works really well. Cacciatore means 'hunter', so this is obviously the type of food that a hunter's wife cooks for her fella when he gets home from a hard morning spent in the countryside. This is also a great dish for big parties, as it looks after itself in the oven. In the picture I've made it for about 12 people.
• Season the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper and put them into a bowl. Add the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs and the crushed clove of garlic and cover with the wine. Leave to marinate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight in the fridge.
• Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade, and pat dry with kitchen paper. Dust the chicken pieces with flour and shake off any excess. Heat an ovenproof pan, add a splash of olive oil, fry the chicken pieces until browned lightly all over and put to one side.
• Place the pan back on the heat and add the sliced garlic. Fry gently until golden brown, then add the anchovies, olives, tomatoes (broken up with a wooden spoon) and the chicken pieces with their reserved marinade. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid or a double thickness layer of foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1½ hours.
• Skim off any oil that's collected on top of the sauce, then stir, taste and add a little salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs, and serve with a salad, or some cannellini beans, and plenty of Chianti.

POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA

Steps:

• Put the garlic oil into a pan with the pancetta, sliced scallions and chopped rosemary and fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add the bite-sized chicken pieces, stirring well, and sprinkle in the celery salt.
• Pour in the wine and let it come to a bubble before adding the tomatoes, bay leaves and sugar. Put the lid on and let the pan simmer for 20 minutes.
• Drain and add a tin of cannellini beans and when they have warmed through too, you are ready to eat.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE {POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA}

Steps:

• Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a glass dish. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour making sure that each thigh is well covered. The flour gives the thigh a crust and adds body and texture to the sauce. Reserve the excess flour.
• Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a saute pan over medium-high. Add the chicken thighs and cook until browned, 3 minutes per side. It may take a little longer to lightly brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Add the other 2 Tablespoons olive oil in the same pan and sauté the onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved flour mixture; cook 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until it is absorbed.
• Stir in tomato purée, broth, thyme, Italian seasoning, and pepper flakes. Add mushrooms and return the chicken to the pan. You don't have to sauté the mushrooms -- they will cook while simmering. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer sauce until mushrooms and chicken are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Season chicken and cacciatore with salt and black pepper and garnish servings with Parmesan.

POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA (CHICKEN CACCIATORE)

Steps:

• Warm the olive oil in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. Stir in the peppers and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Stir the mushrooms into the pan and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and brown lightly on both sides, about 15 minutes in all. Remove the chicken from the pan to a platter and set aside. Pour the wine into the pan and stir to incorporate any cooking juices. Add the garlic, onions, and rosemary and cook until the onions are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand or the back of a slotted spoon as you add them to the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Stir the peppers and mushrooms into the chicken. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook to blend in the flavor of these ingredients, about 10 minutes. The stew may be set aside at this point for several hours before reheating and serving with bread to dip into the sauce. Variation: Rabbit cut into serving portions may be substituted for the chicken. Omit the peppers. Quarter rather than slice the mushrooms. To the basic recipe add 2 all purpose potatoes, peeled, halved and each half quartered. Stir these into the stew at the same time the rabbit is returned to the pot. stir 6 kalamata olives into the stew along with the mushrooms during the last 10 minutes of cooking.;