Healthy Chicken Cacciatore
Many food names reflect various occupations or trades. ‘Cacciatore’ literally means ‘hunter’ in Italian, and this ‘hunter style’ dish makes good use of mushrooms (easily available to hunters trekking through forests!), onions tomatoes and herbs.
Chicken cacciatore is a classic Italian dish, also referred to as hunter’s stew. Early recipes may have been made with rabbit or chicken, and each recipe was adapted for those who might be traveling or hunting for several days and would require an easy to prepare recipe for outside cooking.
The traditional chicken cacciatore is a combination of chicken, mushrooms and spices. The most common spices used are thyme, parsley, and oregano, as well as salt and pepper. The dish also receives flavor from the addition of garlic and onions.
My husband (who is a great cook) introduced this great recipe for chicken cacciatore to me. Give it a try this weekend understanding the preparation will be done the night before.
Ingredients:
* 2 broiler fryer chickens, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds each, cut up
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1 large can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
* 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) whole tomatoes, undrained
* 3/4 cup dry red wine
* 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
* 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6
Preparation:
1. Make chicken cacciatore the day before and refrigerate overnight for best flavor.
2. Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil and butter in a large Dutch oven. Add chicken; brown well on all sides. Remove as pieces are browned. Add mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain off most of the excess grease. Add chicken and mushrooms back to the pot.
3. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes with juice, wine, basil, oregano, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until chicken is tender.
4. Combine the flour with 3 tablespoons of cold water; stir until very smooth, then stir into the sauce. Simmer chicken cacciatore for 8 to 10 minutes, until thickened. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When finished, chicken cacciatore can be served alone, or over either rice or pasta. Many people prefer rice, as the sauce has a somewhat starchy quality when augmented by the pasta. If serving chicken cacciatore without pasta or rice, the dish is often best served with a crusty Italian or French bread, so one can sop up the luscious sauce.
I prefer to serve chicken cacciatore with spaghetti or some other pasta. I have found this recipe goes great with baked garlic bread and a green salad. Buon Appetito!
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