A quick search through my blog yielded at least six posts on chicken cacciatore; however, after making a new version of this Italian classic last night, I decided to add one more, simply because it was so good. The recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich’s relatively recent cookbook A Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl.  And although the dish uses the same ingredients as many of my other cacciatore recipes, its flavors and textures differed from their predecessors, leading me to believe that this may be the best one I’ve made so far.

I suppose what sets this cacciatore apart from the others is Lidia’s treatment of the vegetables. Thickly slicing both the onion and the bell peppers allows them to retain some of their texture and not, as in other versions, melt away into the sauce.  In addition, adding and sautéing quartered cremini mushrooms early on to the pot, rather than near the end, extracts more of their earthy flavors, which truly enhances the sauce.

I pretty much followed the recipe as written, but I thought Lidia’s ½ teaspoon of salt to season the chicken seemed insufficient. So, after patting dry the chicken (a step I added), I liberally seasoned the legs with salt as well as freshly ground black pepper. Influenced by the photo of the dish in the book, I also added a red bell pepper to the mix. My other digressions from the recipe included adding the oregano and peperoncino to the sauce, before returning the chicken to the pot to allow for better distribution, as well as adding any residual juices from the browned legs and turning them to coat with the sauce upon their return.

The chicken was perfectly tender and the vegetables had the perfect amount of chew. All the flavors melded together to yield a perfectly balanced sauce with lingering savors. After cleaning his plate, my husband passed his judgement” “Yum!” I served the chicken accompanied by a creamy polenta laced with Parmigiano.

Chicken Cacciatore (adapted from Lidia Bastianich’s A Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl)

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/2 pounds) (I used 10.)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, thickly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thickly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thickly sliced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
½  cup dry white wine
One 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian oregano on the branch
Peperoncino flakes, to taste (I used a ½ teaspoon.)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

3. Brown the chicken on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes, and remove it to a plate. (I used a sheet pan.)

4. Add the onion and peppers, and cook until they begin to wilt, 6 to 7 minutes.

5. Add the mushrooms, and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

6. Season the vegetables with salt.

7. Add the wine, and simmer until it’s reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

8. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water.

9. Add the oregano, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and a big pinch of peperoncino.

10. Return the chicken to the pot, being sure to add any residual juices remaining on the plate, and turn the legs to coat them with the sauce.

11. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout the cooking process.

12. Stir in the parsley, and serve.

Wine Pairing: Sangiovese, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo