In an attempt to break out of my what-to-make-for-dinner rut, I give you Pollo alla Cacciatora or Hunter’s Wife’s Chicken. (It’s the only Italian I know, except for ciao, basta, and Chianti.) Anyway, it was a huge hit with my fellas, and I’ll be adding this recipe to my collection of chicken dishes!
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 3-4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound mushrooms, quartered
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup dry, white wine
- 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Dredge chicken pieces in seasoned flour, and cook in batches until browned, 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken, and transfer to a plate.
2. Add bay leaf, rosemary, garlic, and vegetables (except for the tomatoes) to the pot and cook for 6-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they soften a bit. Add white wine, stir and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let reduce for about 3 minutes.
3. Return chicken back to the pot, and add the tomatoes, cover and cook until the chicken is tender 30-40 minutes. Place chicken on a serving platter, spoon sauce on top. Serves 4 to 6.
(Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s recipe.)
