Chicken Cacciatore
Updated April 12, 2020
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
½ ounce dried mushrooms, like porcini (½ cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 to 8 skinless chicken legs and/or thighs (thighs can be boneless)
1 small onion, minced
1 small carrot, minced
3 ribs celery, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh minced Italian parsley
1 heaped teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ pound mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
½ cup red wine
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice, pulsed in a food processor
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 5 servings)
24 grams carbs; 265 milligrams cholesterol; 766 calories; 23 grams monosaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 51 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1329 milligrams sodium; 49 grams protein; 7 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl or heat-proof glass measuring cup and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 15 to 30 minutes, until mushrooms are softened. Drain through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel and set over a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms in several changes of water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside. Measure out 1 cup of the soaking liquid and set aside.
- Step 2
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet or Dutch oven. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown, in batches, for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl as they are done. Pour the fat off from the pan and discard.
- Step 3
Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining oil and the onion, carrot and celery, as well as a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and aromatic. Stir in the fresh and dried mushrooms, turn the heat back up to medium, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a little and smell fragrant. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid that you set aside.
- Step 4
Return the chicken pieces to the pan and stir so that they are well submerged in the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with pasta or rice.
Private Notes
Comments
It took two hours to make this but with how wonderful it came out it was a very rewarding experience. I'm only 19 so I haven't made very many things and it felt cool to make something that tasted like it was gourmet. My mom who normally doesn't have much of an appetite has been going through the leftovers very quickly. This is her favorite meal so I made it for mothers day and im very glad I chose this recipe. Also I replaced the wine with beef broth and again it still tasted amazing.
If you use both fresh and dried mushrooms, you get multiple layers of flavor and texture. And if you saute your fresh mushrooms well, until brown and almost crispy, before you add them, then your layers of flavor and texture will be even deeper and more interesting.
Amped up the mushroom, carrot & celery 50% and it was still delicious. (With the additional veg we needed to add a tablespoon of tomato paste, just to keep the consistency correct.)
I didn’t stray too far from the recipe at all, but I was disappointed in the result. Not the chicken cacciatore of my youth. miss you, mom. And the chicken got to 185 to 190 at the end of the half hour, but then was rubbery. My wife asked if I was throwing the rest out as I served it for two. I’m freezing it and I’ll check in with family on what I can do to try and recover the remaining half.
What's with the pureed tomatoes? Recipe says blender. For just the tomatoes or the carrots and celery? I can buy crushed tomatoes and save a step.
I made this twice and found that adding a bunched of sliced, brined calamatti olives really amped up the flavor! in additional to more spices in general. Also found that letting it sit overnight in the fridge and shredding the chicken afterwards made it a great "sit by the fire" stew--delicious and easy for all to eat.