Chicken Cacciatore

  I have to admit, I had never eaten chicken cacciatore. I knew of it. I knew the basic idea: Stewed chicken in a tomato sauce. But when I had heard people speaking about the dish, it was usually with a bit of contempt. It was a poor dish. Usually reserved for less than stellar Italian restaurants or one where you got a can of bottled sauce and poured it over cut up chicken. No one was every really enthused by it. So I was never really in a rush to try the recipe.

Then last year a client asked me if I could make it for him. So I decided to do a bit of research. I read probably closet to 15 recipes. Trying to find out what parts were common in all recipes and therefor part of what makes this cacciatore. Most were very basic, and all relied heavily of a tomato sauce and braised chicken. From there the recipes diverged with additions of everything from bell peppers, capers, olives… you name it.

So I started by writing out a list of the things I liked. The ingredients I wanted. The first thing I knew is that I love bell peppers. So that was in. Olives? Yep. Got to have olives and capers for that matter. Lots of garlic.  Most recipes I read called for a whole chicken, cut up into 8 pieces. I know from experimenting that chicken breast is a poor choice for braising and I personally don't like chicken legs. So I decided to go with chicken thighs. Normally I like the skin on, bone in chicken thighs. But for this batch, I had to be really careful of the fat content. So I went with skinless thighs.
  This was going to be a low heat cooking method and that tends to mute flavor so the garlic and the onions in my recipe would be substantial. The first time I made this recipe I added no red pepper flake. The test recipe was good, but lacked "punch". So the next batch I added red pepper flake for a bit of warmth. I didn't make it spicy. Just warm. I also noticed that the sautéed veggies and even the chicken give off a lot of moisture while the cook. For the test recipe I feel I added way to much tomato sauce. It made a soupy, loose sauce. So I corrected that on my second attempt. I also added mushrooms. There is always room for mushrooms.

And there you have it, a very easy recipe. Short on ingredients, but long on flavor. The smell of this dish is incredible. The meat comes out succulent and fall apart tender. The variety of ingredients give the sauce a very complex flavor. Salty from the olives, tart from the capers, spicy and deep. Its a great recipe and one I would feel comfortable serving at any occasion. From a formal dinner to a family style meal with family and friends. It's an elegant yet simple meal.

browning the chicken

sweating the onion and aromatics

Bell Peppers, onions and mushrooms

Lots of garlic!

Normally I will use red wine. Just a splash. I didn't have any
on hand. So I used a touch of white wine.
I've come to love having a bottle of vermouth
in the fridge. It is stable much longer than white wine or
red, and when I need just a splash to deglaze the pan
it's perfect.

a bit of red pepper flake for heat

a few tablespoons of tomato paste

I like to saute my tomato paste. I think it helps develop more
flavor.

the dry herbs go in. Basil and oregano.

just a splash of chicken broth.

some capers and cured olives

some tomato sauce

the finished dish after simmering in a sealed dutch oven.
I chose low heat,  250 degrees is about right and simmer
for about an hour.

Yet, the last test came when I took the meal to my client. I was a bit worried, he had mentioned that it was his favorite meal. Being Italian, I wasn't sure how close I was to his recipe and I just hoped that at least he would like it.  He did! He raved!  It became a weekly addition to the menu. You cant get any better than that.

Lasagna

I Love pasta. I can not lie. I love pasta just about anyway you serve it to me. Nothing is more comforting that a great bowl of spaghetti with a long simmered meat sauce, or an incredible Bolognese meat sauce. Once a year or so I indulge in Pasta Carbonara. It gets harder to justify the calories and the cholesterol as I get older and the waste line gets wider.
 But of all my pasta favorites, lasagna has to be at the top of the list.  It can be a long process to make a good lasagna. You can open a jar of store bought pasta sauce and simply pour it over your noodles.

I have never chosen to do that. Then there is the cheese choice. I have seen recipes calling for no ricotta cheese and instead substituting for cottage cheese. I despise cottage cheese. So I always pass up those recipes. It can be a real pain in the ass to make lasagna, so I rarely go to the effort. But, then when I have a desire for a some, i stoop to buying the Stouffer's frozen style at the supermarket. I am always disappointed.  It's just nasty.

So last week I was asked to make several meals that could be broken down into single servings and then frozen for a client. My first thought was lasagna. I also made a homemade chicken pot pie filling that I topped with pre-baked puff pastry sheets. Each was put into a little tin foil pan and sealed and then delivered to the client. I was very happy with each meal and I hope she enjoys them as much as I do.

the tomato sauce is still a bit warm

I make my own sauce. I just cant use the bottlesd stuff.  It's basically the same recipe I use for my long simmered tomato sauce. I just cook it a little longer and use a bit less water so that in the end, its a thicker, richer sauce. I start by browning tough little beef steak, or stew meat. Once nice and brown I room them from the pot and saute tons of onions and garlic. Then I add tomato paste and tomato sauce, lots of oregano and basil and I drop the steaks back into the sauce. I cook at a very low simmer for about two hours. Or just until the steaks or meat is fall apart tender.

I kept picking out and eating the mushrooms. I browned them
in  a hot skillet and then added a splash of white wine
to boost the flavor.

 Then as the sauce cools, I pull out the steaks and shred them before I put them back into the sauce. That way the sauce is flavored with the beef and the finished sauce has tender bits of steak mixed throughout. For this recipe I also added mushrooms and browned italian sausage. I wanted this to be a substantial meal.

browned italian sausage and mushroom filling.

 Then from there, its just a basic lasagna. I don't really do anything special or revolutionary. Just layer and cover.

hard to wait for it to bake and cool down.

Tell me that this doesn't look good!

Of all the ways I like my lasagna, my favorite is cold. Eaten as leftovers the next day. Cold lasagna for lunch is the best! But either way, this is a great dish. Filling, substantial, and it just plain makes you feel good.

Lynchburg Lemonade

One of my favorite mixed drinks is a Lynchburg Lemonade. Made with fresh lemon juice and Jack Daniels. It's not often found in many bars, but I make it for guests in the suite at Invesco Field. But due to limitations I am forced to use a bottled "sweet & sour" mix. When I am home, I never use the bottled mixes and since I had just made a batch of homemade lemon juice/lemonade I decided to mix up a batch of this wonderful concoction.

Fresh organic Lemons

I need to be more careful. even a bit of pith left on the lemons can make the juice a bit bitter

the juicer does a great job and separating every last drop of juice

a little bit of crushed ice, made in my favorite ice crusher. A vintage "Swing Away" brand.

the turn of the handle and you can either have fine or coarse ground ice. Perfect for cocktails

about an ounce and a half of Jack Daniels

about 2 oz of fresh lemon juice

4 oz. of bubbly. Either 7Up or Sprite

a touch of simple syrup to take the bite
out of the lemon juice

a quick stir, and there you have it!

a perfect drink for any season.

The world famous Lynchburg Lemonade!

Fresh lemonade

Nothing better than fresh lemonade. All natural, no preservatives

I bought a juicer recently. It's really a lot of fun. It can be a  bit pricey, with the current prices on fresh produce.  But you have to give yourself a treat every once in awhile.

Fresh Organic lemons

Peeled and ready for the juicer

The juicer works very well. It's a bit of a mess to clean. 

My "Swing Away" brand ice crusher

Nothing better than crushed ice

a little ice is added to the shaker

The fresh lemon juice is added to taste

a little simple syrup to sweeten the mix

Some filtered cold water is added for consistency

The other day the market was running good deals on lemons.  It was a warm, beautiful spring day and I decided I wanted to make some homemade lemonade. A nice treat to that turned a good day, into a great day!