Chicken cacciatore is an Italian dish made with the red meat of the chicken. The tradition of using red meat stems from the word cacciatore, which means ‘hunter’ in the Italian language. A cacciatore dish is one prepared like a stew or in the fashion a hunter would prepare his meals. Chicken cacciatore is a tasty and hearty stew and may be served with pasta, mashed potatoes, white rice or even vegetables.
Tools
- 1 Frying pan
- 2 Cutting boards
- 1 Knife
- Spatula
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pack, boneless, skinless chicken thighs (this is your dark meat)
- 3 medium sized Portobello mushrooms
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 3 tsps. Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium sized bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 large white onion
Method
- Remove thighs from the package and wash them with vinegar once then rinse with water
- Dry with a paper towel and cut off the excess fat on the meat.
- Divide each thigh into two equal parts and place them in a bowl.
- Place the frying pan on low heat
- Season thighs with salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning.
- When the pan is hot enough place the thighs into the pan allowing them to fry for 4 minutes on each side. Increase the heat under the pan.
- On a different cutting board, dice bell peppers and onions, thinly slice the Portobello mushrooms and finely chop the garlic.
- When the chicken is done frying, remove them from the pan and with the same oil saute your onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and garlic until the onions are translucent.
- Add red pepper flakes and the can of diced tomatoes. Allow this to simmer for 3- 4 minutes.
- Add the chicken to the same pot along with the beef broth and red wine.
- Cover the frying or sauce pan and let simmer for ten minutes or until the sauce has sufficiently thickened.
Tips
Many substitutions can be made to the recipe. If white meat is preferred, chicken breast can be used. For the adventurous at heart rabbit’s meat may also be used.
If using chicken breast, clean the chicken in the same way described in steps 1 and 2 and dice them into chunks. You may also want to substitute white wine for red.
Although chicken cacciatorre can be served with mashed potatoes, white rice or pasta I recommend pasta and garlic bread for a lighter meal. Use spaghetti, linguine or fettuccini pasta because these will soak up your stew and give the pasta a delicious taste.
The wine would have been reduced in the meal, but if you are unsure or you feel it is unsafe, eliminate the wine from the recipe when making the stew for children.
