Pollo alla Cacciatore – Hunter’s Style Chicken

I’ve found that cooking chicken can be challenging here in Italy. The Italians don’t have the same fondness for chicken breast that Americans seem to have. At least O doesn’t. He’d rather have the legs or thighs.

I have to admit, if not cooked well, chicken breasts can be dry and tasteless, but despite the fact that I’ve cooked them numerous tasty ways, O would rather have the other parts. Of course, this works out well because I prefer the white meat.

Oh, he’ll eat the chicken breast if I smother it in some sauce or fry it in beer batter, but that’s not a healthy alternative. So, other than just roasting a whole chicken, what’s the solution?

How about Pollo alla cacciatore – or Hunter’s Style Chicken

There are actually several different recipes for this, some use peppers and some add black olives. In fact, next time I’ll probably make it with peppers instead of carrots, just for a change.

Here’s the recipe I used:

1 whole chicken cut up
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
1 spike of Rosemary
Pinch of Nutmeg
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
½ cup red wine
salt
Olive oil

For the best flavor, leave the skin on the chicken, you don’t have to eat it, but it adds flavor to the dish.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sautee, turning to make sure all sides get brown, then add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, salt and rosemary and allow to cook for at least another 5 minutes. Once the onions are translucent and the carrots and celery are starting to soften, add the ½ cup of red wine (and be sure to use red, not white, wine) and allow to evaporate.

Add the tomatoes and the pinch of nutmeg, cover the pan and lower the flame to medium, allowing it to cook for another 30 minutes. Check it every once in a while and add water or chicken broth if the mixture seems to be drying out.

Once it is cooked, add the parsley and serve hot.

Oh, and be sure to have some bread handy for sopping up the sauce.

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