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.