I recently made Chicken Cacciatore, for guests, a menu item that I haven't made in years. I had to remind myself how to make it and I found a recipe by Alex Guarneschelli that looked adaptable. You can use any chicken pieces but I used chicken thighs for this recipe. I also skinned the pieces but left the bone in, for better flavour. Wildfire Farms has wonderful chicken and is available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.
The market is open every Saturday until Christmas, from 10AM - 2PM.
Chicken Cacciatore
(portion 2 thighs per person)
1 pkg chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, but remove skins
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tins chopped tomatoes
4-6 roughly chopped yellow peppers (or red or orange. Green would give a very different flavour)
1-2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
3-6 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
optional: 1 tbs brown sugar, to reduce tomato acids, 1-2 tsp chilies( I used Allepo chilies as they are quite mild but hotter chilies would also work),
Set oven to 350ºF.
Skin chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper and optional chilies. Set aside in the fridge.
For the sauce, sauté the onions in olive oil. When the onions have softened, add the chopped peppers and garlic. Then the rosemary and thyme. When the peppers have softened, add the tomatoes and remaining seasonings. Add the white wine and let simmer.
In a saucepan, bring a drizzle of olive oil to medium high heat. Brown chicken thighs. Place sauce in a baking dish and arrange the chicken thighs on top of the sauce. Bake for up to an hour, uncovered.
Serve with rice, pasta, or roasted potatoes. Arugula salad would make a nice side dish.
Enjoy!