Pollo Alla Cacciatora Italian Hunter Style Chicken Recipes

HUNTER'S CHICKEN STEW (POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA)

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA (ITALIAN HUNTER-STYLE CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken pieces and pat them dry.
• Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Toss the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high flame. Add a few chicken pieces at a time and brown them on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate.
• Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for another 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are wilted and cooked through.
• Stir in the wine and tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes until cooked down somewhat. Then stir in the water or stock, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
• Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with polenta or roasted potatoes.
• *Variations.
• Coniglio alla Cacciatora: use rabbit instead of chicken.
• Other possible additions: chopped bell peppers, chopped carrots, chopped celery, chopped oregano, bay leaves, juniper berries, dried porcini mushrooms, black olives, capers, 3 or 4 chopped anchovies.
• Use boneless, skinless chicken breast for a lower fat version.

CHICKEN HUNTER'S STYLE: POLLO ALLA CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken, pat it dry, and season with salt and pepper. In a large casseroleset over moderately high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil until hot. Add the chicken and cook it until no longer pink on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Heat the remaining oil in the casserole over moderate heat until hot. Add the onion, carrot, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomato, garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves, and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more. Return the chicken to the casserole, add the wine, and reduce it over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add the water, bouillon cube, sun-dried tomatoes, dried red pepper, if desired, and more salt to taste, bring to a boil, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes more, or until chicken is tender. Add olives and cook 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a serving plate and reduce sauce over moderately high heat until lightly thickened. Discard bay leaves, spoon sauce over chicken, and sprinkle with parsley.

POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Brown chicken on all sides in hot oil, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken and drain off excess grease, leaving a tablespoon or two.
• Add chopped onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and minced garlic to hot skillet; sauté until onion is tender.
• Stir in tomatoes, wine, oregano, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.
• Add chicken back to sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Discard bay leaf.
• Serve with hot cooked spaghetti or other pasta.