Golden Chicken Cacciatore
Golden Chicken Cacciatore. Image by Richard Cornish. All Rights Reserved.
This is a simple adaptation of the classic cacciatore. You put breadcrumbs on top. They soak up some of the cooking juices and go amazingly crisp and golden when you cook them in the oven. Cacciatore is Italian for hunter, and this is meant to be a dish cooked out over fire, putting some game birds into a pot with some herbs, wine, cured meat and vegetables. It is more a guide. Please feel free to use rabbit or quail, mix up the herbs, use red wine. But, if you get a chance this season to cook this in a pot over an open fire, you’ll get the real taste of cacciatore!
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 chicken chops
150g pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely diced
3 celery sticks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
150ml dry white wine
200ml chicken stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tins cherry tomatoes
I small sprig rosemary
1 small sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup pitted black olives
Salt and pepper
½ cup sourdough breadcrumbs
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook the chicken each side for 5 minutes or until brown. Remove and set aside.
Add the bacon, cook for 2 minutes then add the chopped vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until browned. Add the garlic, stir, cook for 2 minutes then deglaze the pan with the wine.
Add the stock, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, herbs, and olives. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken and simmer for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Pour the mixture into a large ovenproof dish. Place the chicken chops on the mixture and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
Serve with crusty bread and a salad.
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Golden Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 chicken chops
- 150g pancetta or bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 150ml dry white wine
- 200ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tins cherry tomatoes
- I small sprig rosemary
- 1 small sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup pitted black olives
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup sourdough breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook the chicken each side for 5 minutes or until brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add the bacon, cook for 2 minutes then add the chopped vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until browned. Add the garlic, stir, cook for 2 minutes then deglaze the pan with the wine.
- Add the stock, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, herbs, and olives. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Pour the mixture into a large ovenproof dish. Place the chicken chops on the mixture and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
- Serve with crusty bread and a salad.