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.