Chicken Cacciatore

I know that's a big and prominent title for a post, but I think this one deserves it. For as long as I can remember, Chicken Cacciatore has always been one of my favorite Italian dishes. It's something about the tomatoey sauce and the vegetables and olives that when done right, is just so good. And I'm writing this post because I did it right. Tonight I made a giant boiling pot of Chicken Cacciatore and it was delicious. The sauce was flavorful and had just the right amount of spicy kick. Chicken gets so tender when it finishes cooking in a sauce and that's something I love about this dish. I wasn't in the mood to serve it with a starch, but serve it with pasta or rice and watch the starch sop up the extra juices of the sauce, making an incredible bite.

Serves 4
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
4 chicken thighs
olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 vidalia onion
1 serrano chili pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup kalamata olives
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
16 oz. can of diced tomatoes, with juices
thyme leaves
1 tsp cornstarch

Recipe: Wash the chicken. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and turn on high heat. When very hot, add chicken. Brown on each side, about 4 minutes, and take off heat and put aside on a plate. In the same pan, add 2 tbs olive oil and put on high heat until just about smoking. Add the mushrooms and brown, about 2 minutes, and move these to a plate off the heat as well. Slice the onions and peppers into 1 inch pieces and add to the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and diced serrano pepper and cook until the onions and bell peppers are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the kalmata olives and white wine. Cook until the wine is reduced until almost completly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and a generous amount of thyme leaves. Add the mushrooms back into the skillet, and add the chicken as well. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 30 minutes. Once chicken is cooked through, remove it with a slotted spoon. Add 1 tsp corn starch to the sauce, stirring constantly when adding. Turn on high heat to thicken, for about 10 minutes. Arrange the chicken in a serving dish and pour the sauce over it.

hung up on being hungree

xoxo

hungreegirl.