Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore, or hunter’s stew, is an Italian classic. Everyone has a version of this rustic one-pot wonder and the best thing about this recipe is that you can go straight from stovetop to table.

Requirements: large (heavy-based) saucepan or cast-iron pot if serving straight to table

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves

6 people

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Australian extra virgin olive oil
• 1 kg free range chicken pieces (we love Saskia Beer Free Range Barossa Chicken)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic (preferably Australian), chopped
• 2 X 400g tin tomatoes
• 500 ml (2 cups) The Stock Merchant Chicken Stock
• 125ml dry white wine
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 200g Sicilian green olives (or black ones if you can’t find them)
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• plain flour, for dusting
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Dust chicken with flour and shake off any excess.
3. Heat oil in a heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat, and fry chicken pieces, in batches, till lightly browned on all sides. Remove from pan.
4. Reduce heat to low and add onion and garlic and cook till softened but not browned (10 minutes), stir occasionally.
5. Increase heat, then add wine and let liquid evaporate. Add tomatoes, Chicken Stock, tomato paste, sugar, bay leaf and thyme. Return chicken pieces to pan.
6. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 35 minutes. Stirring occasionally
7. Add olives and season with salt and pepper and simmer for a further 15.
8. To serve, sprinkle over chopped parsley.

Adapted from a recipe found at http://www.goodfood.com.au