Hunter's chicken

Thu, 8 February 2018

Hunter's chicken (Pollo alla cacciatora)

Serves 4

Ingredients

750g chicken thighs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

mushrooms (optional)

2 garlic clove, crushed and left whole

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 sprigs of thyme

a handful of parsley, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

4 sage leaves

125ml cup dry white wine

1½ tbsp tomato puree, dissolved in 3 tbsp lukewarm water 175g cherry tomatoes, halved or a tin of chopped tomatoes

Method

Season chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the chicken and seal well all over. Remove from the pan.

Add the onion, garlic, (mushrooms if you want) and herbs and cook for a couple of minutes on a medium heat. Add the wine, increase the heat and allow the wine to evaporate slightly. Add the  diluted tomato purée, then stir in the cherry tomatoes/tin of tomatoes.

Add the chicken back in to the pan and reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook gently for approx 1 hour 30 mins, until the chicken is cooked through; the flesh should come away from the bone and there should be no sign of pink when you pierce the thickest part.

Serve hot with creamy polenta, papardelle pasta, potatoes, rice or crusty bread.

Watch how it's made below: