Chicken Cacciatora

Chicken Cacciatora ( Hunters Stew )

serves 6

This is one of those lovely rustic stews full of flavour, its great all year round. I served it with creamy mashed potatoes, a simple green salad and crusty bread, the kids love to mop up the juices with the bread, so do I. Traditionally you would joint a chicken and cut it into several pieces, I take the easy option and use chicken thighs and drumsticks, these cuts are great for slow cooking, the chicken stays moist and tender and meat cooked on the bone always imparts more flavour.

Ingredients

6 thigh fillets and 6 drumsticks
1 onion diced
6 cloves garlic ( 4 cloves thinly sliced )
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs rosemary
1/2 bottle red wine
6 anchovy fillets
flour for dusting
2/3 cup pitted black olives
2-400g tinned tomatoes
1/2 cup parsley

Method

In a large bowl place the chicken, wine, bay leaves, rosemary and 2 garlic cloves, cover and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
Preheat you oven to 170c.
Drain the chicken reserving the marinade. Pat the chicken dry and dust the chicken in flour.
Heat an oven proof pan, add 2 tbs of oil and fry the chicken pieces in batches until lightly browned, remove from the pan.
Add the onion and remaining garlic to the pan cook for 1 minute then add the anchovies, olives and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper.
Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with the marinade and bring to the boil.
Cover with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the oven, cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the rosemary and the bay leaves, serve with mashed potato or creamy polenta.
Garnish with chopped parsley.


I know anchovies make some people cringe, but you can't taste them they give the dish a natural saltiness. If I told my husband and children that they were in it they probably wouldn't even try it.