Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

• 4 bone in chicken thighs large ((1 kg / 2 lb))
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion (, halved, finely sliced)
• 2 rosemary sprigs ((about 15 cm/6" long), or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
• 2 bay leaves (, preferably fresh else dried)
• 3 garlic cloves (, finely minced)
• 3 anchovy fillets ((or 1 tsp anchovy paste), optional (Note 2))
• 250g / 8 oz mushrooms (, sliced)
• 2 red capsicum (, sliced 8 mm thick (medium, not giant))
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup pinot noir (or other dry red wine (Note 3))
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth (, low sodium)
• 400g/14 oz canned crushed tomato
• 16 whole kalamata olives (, pitted, drained)
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Mashed potato ( or polenta)
• Finely chopped parsley (, for sprinkling (optional))

Steps

1. 1

   Season - Spread the chicken out on a tray. Sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Brown skin - Heat the oil over high heat in a large, deep, heavy based pan, preferably one with a lid (Note 4). Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, around 6 minutes. Turn and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute, then remove the chicken onto the same tray. Then add the drumsticks and brown each side as best you can, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side (the shape makes it awkward). Remove onto the tray.

3. 3

   Onion - Pour off and discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Turn the heat down to medium and let the pan cool slightly. Add the onion, rosemary leaves, bay leaves and dried oregano. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is starting to soften.

4. 4

   Garlic and anchovies - Clear a space in the middle of the pan. Add the anchovies and garlic, cooking, mashing up the anchovies, until the garlic is light golden, then stir it into the onion.

5. 5

   Vegetables & tomato paste - Turn the heat back up to high. Add the mushroom and capsicum. Stir until softened - about 5 minutes (the mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate). Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the sour flavour - do not shortcut this.

6. 6

   Sauce - Add the wine. Stir, bring to simmer then allow to reduce by around 75%. Add the stock, canned tomato, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer.

7. 7

   Simmer - Then carefully place the chicken into the sauce (skin side up) and pour any juices on the tray in as well. When the liquid returns to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to medium then simmer energetically for 20 minutes. Remove lid, add olives, simmer for a further 10 minutes (no lid). This will reduce and thicken the sauce.

8. 8

   Serve - Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce over mashed potato or polenta, sprinkled with parsley if desired.