Chicken Cacciatore (Italian Chicken Stew)

Recipe ⬇️ or PRINT: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-cacciatore-italian-chicken-stew/

This is an Italian stew made with simple ingredients that’s hearty and full flavoured! Juicy chicken simmered in a tomato sauce rich with wine and herbs, with capsicum, mushrooms and whole olives. Anchovies is the secret ingredient here that adds a touch of savouriness in the sauce, but nobody can ever pick that it’s there. But it’s optional – just add extra salt if you prefer to skip it!

–––-
Chicken Cacciatore (Italian Hunter’s Stew)

4 bone in chicken thighs large (1 kg / 2 lb)
4 chicken drumsticks
1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt + 1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
CACCIATORE:
1 onion, halved, finely sliced
2 rosemary sprigs (about 15 cm/6″ long), or 1 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh else dried
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp anchovy paste), optional
250 g mushrooms, sliced
2 red capsicum, sliced 8 mm thick (medium, not giant)
1/3 cup tomato paste
3/4 cup dry red wine, I like pinot noir (sub more chicken stock)
2 cups chicken stock/broth, low sodium
400g/14 oz canned crushed tomato
1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
16 whole kalamata olives, pitted, drained

1. Sprinkle chicken with the salt & pepper. Heat oil in large pan over high heat (30cm/12” pan with lid). Brown skin of thighs ~6 min, then cook flesh side 1 min. Remove, then brown the drumsticks as best you can, remove.
2. Discard all but 2 tbsp fat. Cook onion, rosemary and bay leaves until onion is soft. Lower heat, clear space in middle, cook garlic and anchovies (mash up as you go) 20 sec. Stir into onion.
3. Turn heat back up to high, add capsicum and mushrooms, cook 5 min until softened. Add tomato paste, cook 2 min (don’t shortcut this, removes sourness). Add wine, simmer until reduced by 75%. Add stock, tomato, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir, place chicken in sauce skin side up, bring to simmer, place lid on. Simmer on medium 20 min, remove lid, add olives, simmer 10 min no lid. Serve over mash, polenta, rice or with crusty bread for mopping!

#chickencacciatore #pollocacciatore #chickenstew #italianstew