Chicken Cacciatore

Foundations Referenced

• → Sauce Tomat
• → Mirepoix
• → Braising Technique

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• Salt, pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced · 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Fresh basil
• Crusty bread or polenta for serving

Method

1. Sear chicken: Season thighs. Heat oil over medium-high. Sear skin-side down 6 min until crispy. Flip, sear 2 min. Remove.
2. Build sauce: In the same pan, sauté onion and peppers 5 min. Add garlic, 1 min. Deglaze with wine, scrape fond, reduce by half.
3. Braise: Add tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano, and pepper flakes. Nestle chicken back in, skin-side up (above the liquid). Simmer partially covered 30 min until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened.
4. Serve over polenta or with crusty bread. Garnish with basil.

What You're Practicing

• Sear-then-braise: the same method as braised chicken thighs from Ch.02, with Italian flavors
• Keeping skin above the liquid to maintain crispiness
• Building a sauce in the same pan — fond, wine, tomatoes, aromatics
• Rustic Italian cooking: simple ingredients, bold flavors, one pot