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Hunter's Chicken Cacciatore

Source of Recipe

From "Mad Hungry: Family" by Lucinda Quinn


Recipe Introduction

"This is one of our regular go-to dinners. Many variations exist, but this Italian chicken cacciatore has its roots in simple rustic cooking (it's what the hunter brought home to cook). You can leave out the mushrooms, use oregano instead of rosemary, and swap red wine for the white—in other words, this recipe is happily forgiving, developed over the generations as cooks made do with what was at hand."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ One 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces, back, neck, and wing tips reserved for stock or soup
â—¦ Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 2 strips bacon or 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
â—¦ 1 onion, chopped
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried
â—¦ 10 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced (optional)
â—¦ ¾ cup white wine
â—¦ 1 cup chicken broth, or as needed
â—¦ One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, cut with scissors or lightly pulsed in a blender


Recipe

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large brazier pan or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil. When it shimmers, work in batches to brown the chicken on both sides, starting skin side down, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the bacon, onion, garlic, and rosemary to the pan and cook until the bacon fat starts to render, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the excess fat. Continue cooking (add the mushrooms if using) for an additional 3 minutes. Return the browned chicken to the pan. Raise the heat to high and add the wine, stirring to deglaze the pan and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the lid during the last few minutes of cooking to let the sauce thicken. Season to taste.

Serves 6