Chicken cacciatore

Despite transcribing it faithfully from my mother’s spattered recipe card when I was compiling Fern’s Food, chicken cacciatore is one of those 1970s mainstay meals that I’d completely forgotten about.

Braised chicken thighs simmered slowly in a rich, garlicky tomato sauce until falling-off-the-bone tender – no surprise it was a big hit with the family.

My mum would have chopped up a whole frying chicken – I made mine with bone-in chicken thighs.

I was dubious about her suggestion to serve chicken cacciatore over buttered spaghetti (I was thinking polenta), but that went down a storm as well.

Chicken cacciatore
(serves 4)

• 2 Tb olive oil
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced crosswise
• 1 red (or green) pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 450g tin whole tomatoes
• ½ cup red wine
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole allspice berries
• a pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame.
2. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides, then remove from the pan.
3. Add the onions and celery and cook until starting to soften.
4. Add the pepper and garlic and cook a few minutes more.
5. Add the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up in the skillet with a wooden spoon.
6. Increase the heat, and stir in the red wine. Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the mushrooms.
7. Stir in the oregano, thyme, bay leaf, allspice berries and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Nestle the chicken pieces into the sauce. Lower the heat, partially cover the skillet and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Adjust the seasoning and serve .

Tags: Italian food