Pollo alla Cacciatora

We all know this dish as "chicken cacciatore" but it's really "cacciatora".

The origins of the dish are northern Italian and the story goes, the hunter's wife might have cooked this dish on the eve of the hunt as fuel for the chase.

I've tried many versions of this dish but I like this one best, inspired by a recipe from the glorious food mag, Saveur. This dish turned out wonderfully and it was a joy to cook with my new Kitchenaid dutch oven.

Pollo alla Cacciatora
(serves 4)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 Italian sausage, casing removed
1 cup dry white wine
1 can (28oz.) of plum tomatoes, hand crushed
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/3 cup diced green pepper
1 cup of Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
flour for dredging

1. Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2-3 turns of olive oil. Brown your chicken pieces and reserve.
2. Into the same cooking vessel, add your sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon and brown for a few minutes. Now add your onions, carrots, celery, peppers, mushrooms and bay leaves and rosemary and saute for 5-7 minutes or until your onions are soft and translucent.
3. Now add your parsley, tomato paste and garlic and saute for a minute. Now add the wine and reduce for about 5 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate.
   
4. Add the chicken pieces (plus juices) back in the cooking vessel along with the tomatoes and their juices and your stock. Partially cover with the lid and simmer for about 60-80 minutes or until you have a thick, chunky sauce.
5. Spoon some sauce on the bed of your plate and place a couple of chicken pieces for each serving. Serve with roast potatoes, some good bread for mopping up the sauce and a glass of red wine.
   

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