[carlo3b]

Baby it’s cold outside.. So what does an Italian Chef serve on such a day..

Chicken Cacciatore

or as many Americans think of as Hunters Stew..

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour, for dredging
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut into pieces, rinsed and dried
3 tablespoons olive oil
10-ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
4 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves or 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
1/3 cup fresh basil, chiffonade, for serving
Cacciatore Variations, recipes follow
Serving suggestion: Serve the dish with crusty Italian bread, over pasta, or over polenta.

Directions

In a shallow dish, combine the flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Working in batches, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, turn to coat and shake off the excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saute pan or Dutch-oven over medium heat. Start browning the chicken in the pan a few pieces at a time to avoid overcrowding. Cook the chicken 5 minutes on each side. Remove and transfer the chicken to a plate.

In the same pan, add the mushroom, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic and saute just until tender. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the broth, tomatoes, and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Add the thyme to the sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover. Continue simmering the mixture for 40 minutes, or until tender.

Serve the chicken cacciatore with crusty Italian bread, over pasta, or over polenta and garnish with fresh basil.. :)

[azishot]

If we left right now we’d be there by dinner time. LOL!! That recipe is a keeper.

[texas booster]

Got to try this today, and we barely have any leftovers.

This recipe is a keeper.

Another other recipes that you have that are “old world”, made from the days before we had ever heard of a calorie?

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks for posting your Chicken Cacciatore recipe. My father used to make this back in the 1960s, and it was one of my favorite things. My husband and I have *almost* recreated Daddy’s version; and we’re going to try yours.

Someone recently told me that this useful thread had been neglected, so I’m attempting to revive it with a question:

My husband makes the tastiest ‘barbecued’ pork chops. They are actually baked in the oven, with a wonderful sauce. But they frequently come out very DRY.

I’m wondering if anyone tries bbq pork chops in the crockpot, and if you have a recipe. I was thinking that the crockpot might keep them moist, without diminishing the wonderful sauce. (I’ve got very little experience with crockpot cooking.)

Thanks for any responses, and Happy Holidays!

=JT