Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken is my all time favorite meat. I mean it can be cooked in so many different ways! Fried, battered, glazed, grilled, stuffed. It can be eaten for lunch, or dinner. One of my favorite ways to eat chicken is of course the Italian way! Chicken Cacciatore is an amazing dish that my mom likes to make for my sister and I at varying times throughout the year. 

This recipe is a bit more intensive than some of the ones I have shared in the past, but trust me it is worth the effort! Also there are quite a few ingredients, so make sure you make a trip to the grocery store before beginning this recipe. If you decide to make this in the spring or summer I would suggest going to a local farmer's market to see if you can get any fresh produce. The recipe will turn out one hundred times better if you are able to use some fresh ingredients (like they often do in Italy). 

One side note, but something very interesting, is that in the U.S. the way we go about making food is very different than in other countries like Italy for example. In the U.S. we expect the luxury of having any food we could want just a drive away at our local grocery store, even if the food is not in season.

On the contrary, in many European countries, people go to their local outdoor markets a few times a week to get fresh produce and meats and whatever the markets have in stock is what they get. This practice is much more sustainable because they do not spend the money and fuel needed to transport food from all over the world. Their diets are also a lot healthier since they eat more fresh foods that are not subject to the chemicals that we have so much of here in the U.S.. 

But anyways, let's get to that recipe! 

First the ingredients: 

- 4 chicken thighs 
- 2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone cut in half
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper 
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red pepper
- 1 onion chopped 
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice 
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons drained capers 
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves 
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 

Instructions:

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. 

Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. 

Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic 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. 

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.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. 

Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Enjoy!!