Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
 
This recipe was suggested by someone at the market as a perfect way to highlight the in-season vegetables and Lindenhof Farm chickens. I didn’t get your name but thank you – a perfect recipe for this time of year! This Chicken Cacciatore recipe is originally from Bon Appétit (March 2005); the recipe has been altered from the original: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/231738
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped (scant 4 cups)
  • 8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
  • 1 very large onion, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
  • 1 4½- to 4¾-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, excess fat trimmed
  • 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • 2 to 3 cups diced tomatoes with their juice
  • 1 cup low-salt (homemade, preferably) chicken broth
  • ⅓ cup thinly sliced basil
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 12 ounces gemelli or penne, freshly cooked
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and onion in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil and vinegar; toss to blend. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable mixture in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until onion slices are golden brown and all vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
  2. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to bowl. Add wine to skillet and boil until wine is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice, then the chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Return chicken to sauce in skillet. Place skillet in oven and roast uncovered until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Stir in roasted vegetables, remaining ½ tablespoon rosemary, half of basil, and half of capers. Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Place pasta in large shallow bowl. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle remaining basil and capers over.
  4. Note: I made this dish with a few modifications. First, I had no mushrooms so I added two large patty pan squash (3/4 inch dice), one red bell pepper and one green bell pepper (also ¾ inch dice) to the roast vegetables instead; they worked perfectly and were delicious. I didn’t stir them at all, either. I also used more garlic – 5 cloves, cut into rough quarters. Instead of cooking a whole chicken, I cooked chicken thighs, about half of which had the skin removed. I used more basil than called for and would suggest a handful of fresh parsley as well; some hot pepper flakes wouldn’t be amiss either. This recipe could benefit from more wine and less stock; there was little wine flavor and it would have been welcome. I simmered the vegetable and chicken mixture on the stove top while the pasta was cooking, which was a nice way to decrease the liquid and intensify the flavor; it was simmered for approximately 25 minutes altogether. The Happy Eater pronounced it a success.