Description
Rustic chicken cacciatore brings hearty Italian countryside flavors to home kitchens with simple ingredients and straightforward preparation. Tender chicken simmers in rich tomato sauce, creating a comforting meal you’ll want to savor with crusty bread and good company.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) chicken drumsticks
- 0.25 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, diced (1 cup)
- 2 celery ribs, diced (1 cup)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tbsps olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 (28 oz / 794 g) can whole tomatoes
- 0.25 cup water or chicken stock
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preparation: Thoroughly dry chicken pieces and generously season with salt and pepper to ensure a perfectly crisp, golden-brown exterior.
- Searing: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven and meticulously brown chicken segments, creating caramelized surfaces. Remove and set aside the beautifully seared pieces.
- Aromatics: Utilize pan drippings to sauté onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened, developing a rich flavor foundation for the sauce.
- Building Layers: Crush whole tomatoes and add fresh thyme and bay leaves. Carefully return chicken to the vegetable mixture, creating a harmonious blend of ingredients.
- Simmering: Pour chicken stock to partially cover the ingredients. Cover and reduce heat, allowing the cacciatore to slowly develop deep, interconnected flavors for 45 minutes.
- Finishing: Remove herb sprigs and bay leaves. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, letting the dish rest briefly to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
- Dry Chicken Thoroughly: Pat chicken pieces completely dry to ensure perfect seasoning adherence and achieve a gorgeous golden-brown exterior during cooking.
- Create Caramelization Magic: Brown chicken pieces carefully without overcrowding the pan, developing rich, deep flavors through strategic searing technique.
- Build Flavor Foundation: Sauté aromatic vegetables in pan drippings to create a robust base that intensifies the overall sauce complexity and depth.
- Gentle Simmering Matters: Allow cacciatore to cook slowly and covered, letting ingredients meld together for approximately 45 minutes to develop rich, interconnected taste profiles.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 425
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg