Ina Gartens Best Chicken Cacciatore Recipes

THE BEST CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook the chicken until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate or baking sheet.
• Discard the oil. Put the pot over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a small plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the carrots, celery and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by about two-thirds, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and reserved pancetta. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Reduce the heat to low and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the chicken skin-side up to the sauce, cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
• If necessary, skim off any fat from the surface of the sauce with a large spoon or ladle and discard. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and top with more parsley.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Working in batches, lightly coat the chicken with the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add some of the chicken to the pan. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Add the onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 10 minutes.
• Crush the tomatoes and stir them into the vegetables. Add the wine and the remaining salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley and serve on individual plates.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chicken to a large plate.
• Add another tablespoon of the oil to the pan and heat until almost smoking. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown and their liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the onions and the bell peppers to the pan and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, serrano chiles and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook until almost completely reduced. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, rosemary and thyme, and bring to a simmer. Return the dark meat and mushrooms to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Add the white meat to the pan, cover and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a large shallow bowl and tent it loosely with foil.
• Raise the heat under the pan to high and cook the liquid, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a sauce consistency, about 15 minutes.
• Season with salt, pepper and honey. Stir in the basil and capers, and pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs. Serve over spaghetti and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.
• In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.
• Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl or heat-proof glass measuring cup and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 15 to 30 minutes, until mushrooms are softened. Drain through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel and set over a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms in several changes of water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside. Measure out 1 cup of the soaking liquid and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown, in batches, for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl as they are done. Pour the fat off from the pan and discard.
• Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining oil and the onion, carrot and celery, as well as a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and aromatic. Stir in the fresh and dried mushrooms, turn the heat back up to medium, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a little and smell fragrant. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid that you set aside.
• Return the chicken pieces to the pan and stir so that they are well submerged in the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with pasta or rice.