Pollo alla Cacciatora is a reasonably well-known dish outside of Italy due to the fact that it is often on the menus of Italian restaurants around the world and has even begun appearing among the pre-packaged ready-meals from Italian food ranges in supermarkets. Literally meaning “hunter's chicken” (more literally, "chicken cooked hunter-style"), the name probably comes from the fact that this dish has typically always been made with rabbit and game birds – the types of meat brought back to the home by hunters as most Italian food has peasant roots. The slow, gentle braise employed by this recipe is ideal for delicious meats that can potentially become dry and stringy if not carefully prepared. Coming from the Le Marche region, this dish is best tasted while holidaying there but you can also try it out for yourself with the recipe below. Once you've tasted it, you're sure to be in need of an Italian escape. Find a villa with pool in Le Marche and spend a vacation eating, swimming and enjoying the perfectly picturesque surroundings.
Ingredients
Serves 12 people.
2kg of Chicken
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
8 Bay Leaves
2 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
3 Cloves of Garlic
½ a bottle of Chianti
Flour, for dusting
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 handful green or black olives, stoned
2 x 400 g good-quality tinned plum tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick of celery, diced
Method.
1. Season the chicken by placing it in a bowl with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Next, add the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and the crushed clove of garlic and cover the entirety with the wine. You'll need to now leave the chicken to marinate for at least an hour, but it's best if you have the time and opportunity to leave it in the fridge overnight.
2. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Drain the chicken you have allowed to marinate but be sure to keep the marinade. Using some kitchen paper, remove the excess and pat the chicken dry.
3. Now dust the pieces of chicken with flour, again shaking off any excess. Place the chicken on a pan, add olive oil and fry until browned lightly all over.
4. Remove the chicken and then place the pan back on the heat and now add the garlic, carrot and celery. Fry gently until golden brown, then add the olives, tomatoes and the chicken pieces with their reserved marinade. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and bake in oven for an hour and a half.
5. Skim off any oil that has collected on top of the sauce, stir, taste, add a little salt and pepper if necessary and remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs.
6. Serve with a green salad, rice or polenta.
Finally, if you get a chance, make sure to try it for yourself in Le Marche. While you're at it, why not try one of our other recipes as well?
Serves 12 people.
2kg of Chicken
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
8 Bay Leaves
2 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
3 Cloves of Garlic
½ a bottle of Chianti
Flour, for dusting
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 handful green or black olives, stoned
2 x 400 g good-quality tinned plum tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick of celery, diced
Method.
1. Season the chicken by placing it in a bowl with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Next, add the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and the crushed clove of garlic and cover the entirety with the wine. You'll need to now leave the chicken to marinate for at least an hour, but it's best if you have the time and opportunity to leave it in the fridge overnight.
2. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Drain the chicken you have allowed to marinate but be sure to keep the marinade. Using some kitchen paper, remove the excess and pat the chicken dry.
3. Now dust the pieces of chicken with flour, again shaking off any excess. Place the chicken on a pan, add olive oil and fry until browned lightly all over.
4. Remove the chicken and then place the pan back on the heat and now add the garlic, carrot and celery. Fry gently until golden brown, then add the olives, tomatoes and the chicken pieces with their reserved marinade. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and bake in oven for an hour and a half.
5. Skim off any oil that has collected on top of the sauce, stir, taste, add a little salt and pepper if necessary and remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs.
6. Serve with a green salad, rice or polenta.
Finally, if you get a chance, make sure to try it for yourself in Le Marche. While you're at it, why not try one of our other recipes as well?
Photo credits: Evan Joshua Swigart / CC BY 2.0;
