Chicken Cacciatore
Think - Sunday family dinner. Takes awhile, but ALWAYS worth it.
Serves: 4-6 People
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Cook Time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
3 vine-ripened tomatoes
4-6 bone-in chicken thighs
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 Bell Peppers, cut into strips
2 large carrots, cut into strips
1 [8oz] box of Baby Bella sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 c red wine
1 [28oz] can of Crushed Tomatoes
A few springs of fresh basil, parsley, and oregano (if you can’t get fresh, dried will work)
1/4 c pitted black olives, whole
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375* F
Slice vine-ripened tomatoes in half and rub with olive oil and salt. Roast cut side-down on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes. When timer goes off, allow tomatoes to cool on the baking sheet and set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 350* F
Coat the bottom of a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot with olive oil and heat on medium high until oil is shimmering. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on all sides and add to pot, skin side down, until skin is browned and crispy. Flip chicken and cook the remaining side until browned. Chicken will continue to cook in the oven, so at this point it should not be cooked throughout. Take the chicken out of the pot and set aside.
Add the onion to the pot and cook for a few minutes until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add peppers, carrots, and mushrooms to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and stir occasionally until the vegetables have softened slightly.
Make a well in the center of your pot by pushing the vegetables to the outer edges. Add tomato paste and dried thyme to the center of the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until it has started to caramelize on the bottom of the pot. You should notice that your tomato paste has turned to a more vibrant red color. Gently mix the tomato paste and thyme in with the other vegetables in your pot.
Pour the red wine over the vegetables and stir. Cook until the wine has reduced by about half.
Add crushed tomatoes, stir, and then nestle in the chicken thighs, roasted tomatoes, and fresh herbs.
Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Then, increase the temperature to 375* F, uncover, remove fresh herbs, and sprinkle with olives. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes or pasta.
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