Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken cacciatore is a rustic, warming and hearty chicken stew in a rich tomato-based sauce with vegetables, herbs and wine. Serve this earthy hearty stew with crusty bread or on a bed of polenta or pasta, sprinkled with some freshly grated Parmesan. I have used white wine, but you can definitely use red wine instead.
Chicken cacciatore, literally meaning “hunter's style chicken,” has origins that date all the way back to the 14th century. The primary meat of cacciatore back then was rabbit, but other versions add meats like salami and sausage as the protein of choice. Since then, chicken has evolved and become the crowd-pleaser.

2 tbsp Olive oil
2 Bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (900 g-1 kg)
120 g Pancetta, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Red capsicum, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
150 ml White wine
150 g Black olives (or large Sicilian Castelvetrano)
15 g Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 150 ml of boiling water
2 Rosemary sprigs (or thyme, sage)
1/2 tsp Dried oregano
400 g Tomatoes, diced (or use 1 can of crushed tomato)
250 ml Chicken stock
Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Place olive oil in a large saucepan with over high heat. Season the chicken legs all over then sear, skin-side down, for 10-12 minutes until golden. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes until light golden then transfer to a roasting dish.
Reduce heat to medium and add the chopped pancetta, onion, capsicum and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until the onion and capsicum have softened.
Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, and cook for 3-4 minutes until reduced by two-thirds, then add the olives, shiitake mushrooms and soaking liquid, herbs, tomatoes and stock. Taste and season.
Pour the sauce all over the chicken legs and cover tightly with a lid or foil. Cook in the oven for 40-45 minutes until chicken is cooked. Skim off any fat or oil that rises to the surface. Remove lid and cook for a further 30 minutes or until sauce has reduced to your liking. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve.

11 comments:

DEZMOND 1/10/24 13:03: Autumn does love roasted and baked things. It was 2C this morning at sieben here.
Tom 1/10/24 13:42: ...thanks Angie, this is a favorite of mine.
Jeff the Chef 1/10/24 14:18: I've heard of this dish many times, but I've never had it. Thanks for the recipe!
Granny Sue 1/10/24 14:33: I have made this, but my recipe was a good bit different. This sounds delicious.
Carol @Comfort Spring Station 1/10/24 15:06: this is one of my favorites
eileeninmd 1/10/24 15:26: Looks delicious, One of my favorites too.
Take care, have a wonderful week!
thepaintedapron.com 1/10/24 17:16: Beautiful dish Angie!
Jenna
Brian's Home Blog 1/10/24 19:27: Yum, yum and more yum! It's been a long time since I made Chicken Cacciatore, I'll have to do that soon.
Pam 1/10/24 20:29: I've been craving this dish lately! Yum.
Food Blogger 1/10/24 22:08: Wow, this looks so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Cooking Julia 1/10/24 23:45: This is such a tasteful chicken dish!