Pollo alla Cacciatora

Pollo alla Cacciatora

(Hunter's Chicken)

This is one of my favourite Italian dishes. Its warm enough for the winter but still light enough to be enjoyed on a beautiful summers evening. This recipe is based on the "Pollo alla Cacciatora 3" in the "La Cucina: The Regional Homecooking of Italy" book. This book is the bible of Italian regional cuisine and contains over two thousand recipes in over nine hundred pages. Its a BEAST!

The problem with such a book, of course, is that its hard to figure out what to cook when so much is on offer but where better to begin than with this classic, cooked Tuscan style. I used the book recipe as a guide for my Chicken Cacciatora, changing things to suit my tastes and changing cooking times according to when i thought the dish was at its best! This is what I settled on.

enjoy:

Serves 4

My Chicken Cacciatora (Sorry my Camera broke!)

*4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*1 Large Onion (Finely Chopped)

*1 Clove Garlic (Finely Chopped)

*4 Free Range Chicken Legs (divided into thigh and drumstick)

*2 tbsp Tomato Puree

*200ml White Wine (I used a Pinot Grigio)

*Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Pepper and Chilli Flakes.

To Serve:

*4 slices of Ciabatta

*1KG Boiled Baby Potatoes

*Blanched Sugar Snap Peas

1. Heat the Olive Oil in a deep pan over medium heat and add the Onion and Garlic. Season well with Salt and Pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened.

2. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the Chicken. Sprinkle a little salt onto the skin and cook until it starts to brown.

3. Move the contents of the pan around to form a small gap in the centre of the pan and add the Tomato Puree to it, allow to cook for 20-30 seconds before stirring well.

4.Pour in the Wine and stir. Season with Salt, Pepper and add a good grinding of Chilli Flakes. Bring to the boil, turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 30 mins.

5. Remove the lid and cook for another 10 or 15 mins to reduce the sauce. Taste and season if necessary.

Serve with boiled Baby Potatoes and lightly blanched Sugar Snaps. Don't forget some Ciabatta or good Country Bread to mop up the Sauce!

Variations:

I was quite surprised that the basic recipe in the book contained so little sauce. I added a little extra wine but this isn't a particularly saucy dish. I have seen numerous recipes that contain Chicken Stock but i would recommend dredging the Chicken in some flour before adding to the pan to ensure the sauce thickens. Numerous herbs and vegetables can also be added, Carrots and Celery being the obvious Veg that work really well. I'd be inclined to finely chop them so they become part of the sauce. Rosemary is also commonly added and this can bring another dimension to this dish, be careful with the amount though, as it can tend to overpower the flavour of everything else.

The Italian Job Pt.1, Bologna

The Italian Job Pt.1, Bologna

In August of this year, 2013, Ali and myself dropped our two cats off at the cattery and hopped on a plane to the beautiful Italian City of Bologna for our ten day holiday also taking in Florence and Pisa.

The famous 2 towers

The view from the taller tower

The first thing that strikes you about this City are the outstanding Porticos that line almost every street and act as a canopy to keep you out of direct sunlight when its fine but also (as happened once) to allow you to walk anywhere even in the lashing rain! From a tourist point of view, there’s plenty to see and do and it can be done in a much more relaxed fashion than most places as it isn’t as over-run with loud obnoxious tourists as places like Rome or Florence.

Ali on the rain soaked streets

Tagliatelle al Ragu

Linguine ai Frutti di Mare

So onto the main point of this blog…..The Food!!! Bologna certainly deserves its nickname of Bologna the Fat, the food here is outstanding. Eat where the locals do and you’re guaranteed amazing food at very reasonable prices. I, of course, had to get the local specially, Tagliatelle al Ragu (don’t ask for Spaghetti Bolognese!!). It is much tastier than what we get here which probably stems from the fact that they use different meats stewed together for hours, its also important to understand the meat is the sauce so there isn’t loads of Tomato Sauce.

Prosciutto

Simoni's 

I also had to try Tortellini but unfortunately I got this in the one bad restaurant we went to on the whole holiday, it was extremely bland! Other dinners consisted of a delicious Pizza (you really cant judge Pizza until you’ve had one in Italy) and Guinea Fowl with Prunes and Roast Potatoes to break up the Pizza/Pasta intake. One of the best meals in Bologna came from the amazing “Eataly”, which is a 3 floor bookshop with a different café on each floor. The meal was Linguine ai Frutti di Mare and it was cooked perfectly! The addition of Shredded Spinach was a very welcome surprise and it balanced the dish brilliantly.

Tomatoes!

The other foodie thing to look out for in Bologna is the amazing food market. I cant describe how amazing these markets are in Italy, the fruit/veg is so fresh and with Fish Mongers and Butchers also present there's nothing you wont find! Look out for Simoni’s, you can't really miss it with the copious amounts of Prosciutto and Salami hanging from the ceiling and the smell of cured meats wafting from the door.

Guinea Fowl with Prunes and Roast Potatoes

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Simple Baked Tomatoes

Simple Baked Tomatoes

 A very simple yet delicious way to turn the simple tomato into a beautiful side dish

Roughly chop a few Tomatoes and place them cut side up in a baking dish.

Sprinkle with a finely chopped Shallot and plenty of Sea Salt and Pepper

Drizzle generously with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Bake at 180c until done

Mixed Herb and Almond Pesto

Mixed Herb And Almond Pesto

A lovely fresh Pesto that will last up to a month in the fridge. Just ensure the top is always covered with oil.

 Add some Oregano, Chives, Basil, Garlic and Almonds to a Pestle and Mortar with some Sea Salt and Pepper

Bash well for a few minutes to release all the flavour

Add some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fold in some Parmesan Cheese. Taste and add extra seasoning to taste.

New Blog!!

Welcome to the new Kinneagh Kitchen Blog. Please bear with me while i put the blog together, it will be up and running shortly. In the mean time please visit my facebook page: www.facebook.com/PetesGreatGrub


Pete