Chicken Cacciatore

Cacciatore, which means “hunter” in Italian, is generally made with braised chicken or rabbit. There are of course many diverse variations of this dish based upon ingredients available and used in specific regions. A basic cacciatore recipe typically begins with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil heated in a large frying pan. Chicken parts, dusted with salt and pepper are seared in the oil for three to four minutes on each side. The chicken is removed from the pan and the majority of the fat poured off. The remaining fat is used to fry the onions, mushrooms, peppers or other vegetables for several minutes. A small can of peeled tomatoes is added to the pan with some oregano and dry red wine. The seared chicken parts are returned to the pan which is then covered. The dish is complete after an hour at a very low simmer. Cacciatore is often served with rustic bread or some pasta on the side.

Ingredients serve 8

1200 g chicken thigh and breast fillet cut into cubes

1 onion chopped (200g)

300 g fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 large green capsicum, deseeded and chopped

1 large red capsicum, deseeded and chopped

2 tbls olive oil

2 tsp crushed garlic

2 tbsp tomato paste

800 g whole tomato canned in tomato juice, chopped

200 ml red wine, (100 ml, 1 small glass

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

2 tbls caster sugar

2 tsp salt

Method

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and mix. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low heat for 8 hours.

Note: Serve this Italian Stew in a deep bowl on its own, with pasta or sourdough bread.