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Chicken Cacciatore - Hunter's Chicken - Pollo alla Cacciatora

Started by Black-Don, March 11, 2012, 10:38:26 PM

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Black-Don

Here's a copy of a recipe I posted on the blog which some folk might find interesting  :)

Nothing to do with fishing but this is one of my own favourite chicken recipes which I thought I would share. Part of the reason for doing this is the fact that I now reckon I've got it just right and want to preserve the recipe for myself too.




Ingredients

1 chicken skinned and jointed into breasts, legs and wings.

1 large onion 1/2 chopped, 1/2 sliced

2 largish carrots diced

2 celery stalks diced

3 large cloves garlic finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried cilantro/oregano

2 chicken stock cubes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 can dry scrumpy cider

1 tbsp capers

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 400gm tin chopped Italian plum tomatoes + 2 cans of water

1/2 a tube or 1 small tin tomato puree


Prep time 15 mins, cooking time 25 - 40 mins.


I use the stove top method for this recipe as it's a bit quicker but it can be finished in the oven in a casserole dish if preferred which is the more traditional method.


Heat the oil ( I use a wok ), add the chicken and brown the meat but not too quickly  or on too high a heat. You are looking to achieve some colour.

Remove the chicken and to the same oil, add the carrots, then onion, celery and finally the garlic. You are aiming to colour the carrots and onion slightly bot not too much. Add the garlic last so that it does not burn.

Return the chicken to the pot, bring up to heat and add the cider.

Bring up to heat and add the tomatoes, water, chicken stock,  tomato puree, salt, bay leaves, cilantro, thyme and capers.

Bring to a simmer and stir.

Put the lid on the wok or pot and simmer for 25 Min's. Alternatively, transfer to a casserole dish and place in a preheated oven at 190 deg C for 40 Min's.
Serve with focaccia or ciabatta bread, small or quartered potatoes and other fresh boiled or steamed vegetables of your choice if desired but the dish goes fine with potatoes on their own.

A tangy full flavoured and easily prepared chicken dish.

haresear

Bravo Donaldo, I had that in a local ristorante a few years ago and it was bellissimo.

Molto grazie,

Alessandro :D
Protect the edge.

Scotaidh


Teither

BD,
    Geat to see a recipe for CC which does not depend on mushrooms ! I have a question concerning the liquids. Are the 2 cans of water you mention added in addition to the water you'd use with the stock cubes to make the stock ? If they indeed are, as the instructions suggest, how much water do you use
for the stock. Thanks in anticipation.

T

Black-Don

Thanks for the replies, funnily enough Alex, the first time I had this it was in a restaurant and it's probably one of my first choices if I'm going Italian.

Glad to see you enjoyed it Scotaidh, I think the cider adds that wee bit extra you won't find in any other Cacciatore recipes. I added this for a change simply because I had some lying around - as you do  :)

Black olives are a great addition CB and I would probably have added them if I had them in the kitchen, funny thing was, this time I didn't add any olives and I felt it didn't confuse the taste ( throws in a cheffy remark pretending to know what he's talking about ) if you know what I mean  :?  :) . Something else you can add as well though is anchovies for more flavour if you want it but not the mega salty kind.

Teither, I usually add mushrooms but again didn't have any lying around so left them out this time and felt the sauce benefited from not having that background earthiness that mushrooms can give to a dish. Re. quantities of liquid and stock, I just added 2 dry Knorr stock cubes along with the tomato juice from the chopped tomatoes then 2 cans of water separately. This isn't an exact science as you need to add enough liquid to cover the rest of the ingredients but you don't want it too runny. Best way to describe the consistency would be that of tomato sauce from a bottle. If you add a bit too much liquid, leave the lid off and allow the liquid to reduce but it's better if you can get the consistency right from the off as it helps with the taste of the finished dish.

None of this recipe is exact science and the only reason I posted it is because I reckonned for once I had got it just the way I like it even though it is different from classic Cacciatore recipes you'll find in a cook book. Some of these so called top chefs forget that when it was originally made in italy, the hunter or his wife would add what came to hand or was seasonally available so nothing is set in stone.


Teither

BD,
      Thanks. This gets a tryout at the weekend.
T

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