"Fare la scarpetta". It means "to make a little shoe". That's a term Italians use when they mop up every drop of delectable sauce in their plate using their bread! This dish is guaranteed to having you mopping up every bit of sauce!
So, Fall is in full swing in Ontario. As the days become increasingly shorter, evenings cooler, and the trees settle into another season, revealing their vibrant colours of red, orange and gold, I was naturally beginning to gravitate toward more warming, filling meals. A time of the year where my squashes, root vegetables and warming spices rattle in anticipation of being selected for that forever sought after "comfort food" meal. After several weeks of thinking about a 'chicken alla cacciatore' recipe (which I haven't made since my teen years), I finally put my apron on and decided today was the day!
Now, since I occasionally have a vegetarian at my table or friends that ask me for vegetarian versions, this recipe, like many others of mine is versatile enough to be made vegetarian without a lot of extra work. Look for the vegetarian version in brackets and the meal preparation tips below.
Also, be sure to read "MEAT EATERS BEWARE!" post. This meal happens to fall in the safe zone! Follow the 'Related Posts' below for more information.
And oh,
BoUn ApPeTiTo!!!!
Italian Chicken alla Cacciatore annaz style
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
10 chicken legs, skin off (or 8-10 skinless chicken thighs)
[Vegetarian: 2 cups of BPA free chickpeas or white beans, rinsed and drained]
3 tablespoon of olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium spanish onion, diced
1 large carrot, grated
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 can (800gr) of crushed tomatoes, Fire Roasted flavour
1 cup of chicken broth, low sodium [Vegetarian: vegetable broth, low sodium]
1/2 cup of kalamata olives, with pit
1/2 cup of red wine, dry
1 1/4 tsp of sea salt, more for sprinkling chicken
1 tsp of ground pepper, more for sprinkling chicken
1 tsp of red chili flakes (optional)
1 1/2 tsp of oregano, dried
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of savoury, dried
3 tbsp of basil leaves, fresh
3 tbsp of parsley leaves, fresh
2 tbsp of arrowroot
2 tbsp of cold water (to mix with the arrowroot)
Preparation:
remove skin from chicken and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
heat a dutch oven style pot or deep style fry pan on medium-high heat. Add olive oil.
add onions and sauté till lucid. add garlic and red pepper. Sautee for 2-3 minutes.
add the chicken to the sautéed veggie mix, moving the veggies over if necessary so that the chicken can lightly braze on all sides. 3-5 minutes.
remove chicken from the pan or pot and set aside in another dish.
add the grated carrots, chill flakes, paprika, oregano, thyme, savoury, salt and pepper. Stir several times to mix together.
add the wine slowly while scraping the sides of the pan for any flavourful bits that are stuck on!
add the broth and stir. Add tomatoes and stir. Bring to a boil.
add chicken [Vegetarian: add chickpeas or white beans]. Lower heat to medium. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. [Cook 30 minutes for vegetarian].
once 45 minutes [or 30min] is reached, in a small glass, add the arrowroot with the cold water, dissolve and stir into the cacciatore mixture.
Add olives. Cook additional 2-3 minutes.
remove from heat, add the fresh herbs of basil and parsley.
Meal Tips/ Preparation:
to accommodate a vegetarian version, use chickpeas or white beans and vegetable broth.
serve with vermicelli noodles
serve with sourdough bread
serve with Italian salad