Chicken Cacciatora (Pollo alla Cacciatora)
"How to Cook Italian" by Giuliano Hazan
Serves 4 as a main course, or 6 as part of a multi-course Italian meal
INGREDIENTS
• 3 medium carrots • 1/2 yellow bell pepper • 12 ounces ripe tomatoes • 1 chicken, about 3-1/2 pounds • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • Salt • 1 medium yellow onion • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
DIRECTIONS
Peel the carrots and cut into 1-1/2 x 1/4-inch sticks. Core, seed, and peel the pepper. Cut away any white pith inside the pepper and cut it into 1 x 1/2-inch sticks. Peel the tomatoes and coarsely chop.
Cut the chicken into 12 pieces. Put the olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to accommodate the chicken snugly and place over high heat. When the oil is hot, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and put half the chicken pieces in the pan. Brown them lightly on both sides, then set them aside on a platter. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Once all the chicken is done, season with salt.
While the chicken is browning, peel, halve, and thinly slice the onion crosswise. When all the chicken is browned, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onion and red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and turns a rich golden color, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the carrots and yellow pepper to the pan and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and lightly season with salt. When the tomatoes start bubbling, adjust the heat so that the tomatoes simmer. Add all the chicken pieces except for the breasts. Cover the pan with the lid slightly askew and cook for 20 minutes, turning the chicken once during that time.
Put the breast pieces in the pan and cook, turning the chicken occasionally, until the dark meat is tender and begins to fall off the bone, another 20 to 25 minutes. If all of the liquid in the pan evaporates before the chicken is done, add a little water. If the chicken is almost done and there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, raise the heat, and finish cooking uncovered to allow the excess liquid to evaporate. TIPS
Literally “hunter’s chicken,” there are probably as many permutations of this dish as there are hunters in Italy. Probably it began as a preparation for whatever game was brought home. Basically the meat is braised with tomatoes and sometimes other vegetables until very tender.
Preparation time: 25 minutes Total time from start to finish: 1 hour
Note: This dish will keep well for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Add a couple of tablespoons of water when reheating it. Bold text