The Chicken Cacciatore it is a very famous second course in Italy, probably born in Tuscany but now used in the kitchen of all Italian families, thanks to its simple and quick preparation. A tasty and aromatic dish, to be prepared in a pan with pieces of chicken like wings, thighs and drumsticks, together with chopped vegetables, garlic, rosemary and tomato pulp. Ideal in all seasons of the year, it is particularly appreciated during the autumn and winter months thanks to its enveloping taste and its delicious cream in which it is impossible not to make a slipper with fresh bread! Chicken Cacciatore is excellent accompanied by vegetables, but is at its best paired with a mushroom side dish: we therefore suggest serving it with sautéed mushrooms, au gratin mushrooms or with very simple but tasty baked mushrooms!

Preparation

1

Start by preparing the sauté: peel the onion and peel the carrot, wash the celery stick with plenty of water and remove the ends. Cut the celery and chop it finely. (

2

Cut the carrot into sticks, then chop it very finely.

3

Slice the onion, chop it and combine all the vegetables in a bowl.

4

Using a gas torch, flame the chicken to remove any remaining feathers. Divide the chicken into pieces, cutting the wings first, then obtaining the thighs and breast. We advise you to use a rather large and sharp knife to carry out the operation, placing the chicken on a cutting board. The pieces must be cut by cutting into the joints of the bones, so that it is easier to obtain them.

5

Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and place it on the stove over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cover with a lid, browning for 10 minutes.

6

Move the lid and use kitchen tongs to turn all the pieces, so that they brown on the other side too. After five minutes, add the sauce.

7

Mix and also add a clove of poached garlic, then brown for 5 minutes and add the sprig of rosemary previously rinsed and dried with absorbent paper.

8

Deglaze with white wine. As soon as the alcohol has evaporated, add the salt. The amount of salt can be added according to your tastes, but we advise you to add a little salt and, if necessary, taste before adding more at the end of cooking.

9

Mix well, then add the tomato pulp and close with a lid. Cook over moderate heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it dries out too much during cooking, add a few tablespoons of hot water.

10

At the end of cooking, the liquid in the pan must have congealed enough to form a creamy sauce. Once cooked, add the chopped parsley, transfer to a serving plate and serve.

Tips and tricks

To customize the Chicken Cacciatore you can use different spices and herbs. You can replace, for example, rosemary with thyme or dried oregano.

In summer you can use fresh tomatoes for sauce instead of tomato puree.

If you don’t feel ready to cut the chicken yourself, you can ask the butcher to divide it into pieces. In any case, you can also just use chicken wings, thighs or drumsticks: the result will be the same.

You can add some other ingredients to flavor the chicken Cacciatore: for example you can add a spoonful of desalted capers and some black olives pitted, so as to give even more flavor. Add them after blending with the white wine.

Preserving Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore can be kept for 2-3 days in an airtight containerin the fridge.

If you have used very fresh ingredients, the chicken Cacciatore can be frozen in a closed food container for 1 month. It should be left to defrost at room temperature and then heated in a pan for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.

Curiosity

Chicken Cacciatore is a very famous second course in Italy, the origins of which are disputed between the central regions such as the Marche, Tuscany and Umbria. Tradition makes chicken Cacciatore a mainly Tuscan recipe. Probably born between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, chicken Cacciatore probably takes this name due to the aromas of the recipesuch as rosemary and garlic, famously used by hunters to give flavor to game.