For decades I've made and enjoyed chicken cacciatore without ever realizing what a terrible name it has. Chicken cacciatore basically translates to "hunters-style chicken." So, what's wrong with that you say? What kind of lame-ass hunter settles for chicken??Are you telling me the proud, cunning hunters of Italy have allowed their official dish to use chicken as the main ingredient? Where's the dangerous wild boar? How about hard-to-shoot pheasant? I mean how hard is it to hunt chicken? My hunting skills are only slightly better than Paris Hilton, yet I could shoot a damn chicken.
Sorry to have to call you out, Italy. Don't feel too bad; you still have your cooks, artists, lovers, and opera singers to be proud of. All that being said, chicken cacciatore is a very delicious dish, and this video recipe shows my favorite version. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 whole roasting chicken, cut in quarters
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 large onion, sliced (so they hold together, slice the onions "with the grain" in the same direction as the lines of the onion, instead of across the onion like they are usually sliced)
8 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 springs rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 green bell peppers, sliced
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28 comments:
Vive Chef John!
Chef John président!
Bravo et merci!
Dick Cheney's favorite dish!
Scott - Boston
I want some in my mouth
Yeah I should have referenced Cheney instead of Paris, damn.
very nice easy beautiful recipe, thanks!
Yeah, you guys laugh but a wounded chicken is a dangerous foe.
Right up there with the Legendary Black Beast of Aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh...
"with the grain" vs "across the grain", sliced garlic vs chopped/crushed garlic; is there a taste difference in the end result?
If not (which I suspect there isn't), why one way and not the other?
heartburn is probably from tomatoes and peppers, not the recipe, but good luck. Yes, the metaphorical significance of the name is interesting. Thanks!
Susanna, onions cut with the grain will not disintegrate and will stay visible. Garlic that's sliced is more mellow that crushed garlic since crushing releases more of the sharp flavor compounds. Thanks
Got my dvd today. It may have come sooner as I don't check my mail all that often. Thanks Chef.
Hi Chef John,
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! It has become my weekly staple weekend meal. Both hubby and I love it! It usually lasts us for 3 meals and I will prepare the first with pasta, 2nd with garlic bread and lastly turning it into omurice (japanese dish - omulette rice).
Cheers,
Cheryl
thanks, sounds like a great trio!
Just a great dish. Gonna make it again and again. Thank you, chef!
I made this dish today for my aunt and grandparents... None of us have ever tasted it before...
*My gpa has Alzheimer's and doesn't really eat much of anything anymore... He used to eat everything and now he is so picky... You would have sworn that food had never even touched his plate, it was so clean... He loved it!*
Chef, I found your Cacciatore excellent. I really like your videos, your knowledge and your sense of humor.
I have learned much from you and will just say thanks and Enjoy!!!!
Steve
Chef John, if I wanted to double the amount of chicken in the recipe, how much longer would I need to cook the chicken in the oven?
Sorry, can't tell you, id have to test. Just cook it until it is all done and fork tender! :-)
well shizzle....I didn't know I could put my le creuset with the black top handle lid in the oven....
Wonderful tasty dish. I like my sauce a little more concentrated so may remove the top at the one hour mark to promote some dehydration.
This is so delicious and easy! Thanks for a great recipe, I am an instant fan.
If Italian "cacciatore" is anything like the spanish "cazadora", I think it was originally made with rabbit... So don't judge those poor italian hunters, it's not their fault that some lazy person started using chicken instead of rabbit!
do i realy have to use le creuset? i dont have that.can i use a caserole instead?
omg it tastes SSOOOOO GOOOOOOOODDD... how will i ever go back to the simple baked chicken!!?!?!
Made this recipe last night - outstanding. Did not have dried oregano so I used Herbes de Provence instead - it worked.
Thanks Chef John.
I gave this a go last night. I was craving some. I didn't have mushrooms on hand and I used boneless skinless chicken tenders but it still turned out great. The chicken was very tender and moist. I also used my cast iron skillet. There wasn't any leftovers. I'll be making this again later this week but with mushrooms.
I'd like to add capers to this... Do you think that would work out? If so, how many should I add?
Wendy
I'd like to add capers to this... Do you think that would work out? If so, how many should I add?
Wendy
This blog is a few years old but I have to correct where the name came from. The original recipe in Italy was called coniglio cacciatore which means rabbit cooked it the manor of the hunter. It must have been changed since rabbit is very expensive and rear in America.
I have made it several times with rabbit when available and afordable and chicken other times.
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