Chicken Cacciatore

, from Issue #29. September, 2015
Photography by Vanessa Wu.
Chicken Cacciatore

Translating as ‘cooked in the hunter’s style’ this is a one pan recipe that has a lighter flavour if fresh cherry tomatoes are used. It’s important to brown the chicken well during the initial stage of cooking, otherwise it will look pale and insipid in the finished dish.

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
4 chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
small knob of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
100 grams streaky bacon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon capers
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken stock
1 punnet cherry tomatoes or 1 x 400 gram tin cherry tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

METHOD

Trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs. Tuck the skin under and tie into neat bundles with kitchen string. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan. Season the chicken and sauté until a good golden colour on all sides. Do this in batches if necessary. Transfer to a plate.

Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onion, carrot, bacon, oregano, garlic and capers and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat.

Add the wine, stirring to release the sticky bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and chicken along with any resting juices back to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce. Add the tomatoes. Season, cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. A simmer mat is perfect for gentle stove-top cooking.  To test, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer and the juices should run clear.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, place over a high heat and boil until reduced and syrupy. Stir in the flat-leaf parsley and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

Serve with Crisp Baked Potatoes with Red Capsicum.