DUTCH OVEN CHICKEN CACCIATORE RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Dredge the chicken in the flour.
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in the skillet, four pieces at a time. Brown on both sides, then remove to a clean plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Pour off half the fat and discard.
• Add the sliced bell peppers and onions to the skillet, as well as the garlic. Stir around for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and stir around for 1 minute. Add the thyme, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt. And the crushed red pepper flakes if you like things a little spicy. Add extra black pepper to taste. Stir, then pour in the wine and allow to bubble.
• Pour in the tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the chicken back to the skillet skin-side up, without totally submerging it. Cover and put into the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and increase the heat to 375 degrees F. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.
• Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate, followed by the vegetables. Return the skillet to the burner and turn the heat to medium high. Cook and reduce the sauce for a couple of minutes.
• Pour the noodles onto a large platter or into a big serving bowl. Add the vegetables all over the top, then place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. Spoon the juices from the skillet over the chicken and noodles.
• Before serving, sprinkle on chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.