Chicken Cacciatore
It is November 2019, we are planning on moving into our new house in Pawleys Island soon and were trying to eat as much of the food as we could out of our freezer. I came across 6 chicken thighs - not sure why we bought them but now was the time to cook them. I did an internet search and found a recipe for chicken cacciatore. I couldn't believe I had never made it before. It is now one of my favorites! Easy, healthy and delicious. You can add the vegetables that you like to make it your own version. Pasta & crusty bread make nice side dishes. If using gluten free pasta, remember it takes longer to cook - allow about 20 minutes. This 5 minute video may help you if you have not made it before: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-cacciatore-recipe-1943042
Ingredients
This is the original ingredient list - I made notes with my changes4 chicken thighs (6 thighs, no breasts)
2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone, halved crosswise
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging (gluten free almond flour)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
I added 6-8 oz mushrooms
3/4 cup dry white wine (I omitted the wine and doubled the amount of broth)
1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (I make broth using Better than Bullion (in a jar) - super easy and more tasty)
3 tablespoons drained capers (omitted)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Other optional vegetables to use - celery, carrots, olives, anchovies, chili peppers
Instructions
1. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.2. In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic (mushrooms) to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. (I omitted the wine and this step) Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.
3. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.