This Italian hunter-style chicken recipe is popular throughout Italy, though it is particularly beloved in Toscana, where mushrooms and rosemary are two favored ingredients.
Difficulty
Easy
Serves
4 people
Preparation time
10 minutes
Cooking time
40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces or 8 bone-in chicken thighs
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
2-3 whole garlic cloves
2-3 bay leaves
1 sprig of rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 ounces cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup white wine
16 ounces chicken stock
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Chopped parsley, to garnish
STEPS
Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. In a wide braising pan, heat the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil sizzles. Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will fit without touching, skin side down. Nota bene: do not crowd chicken. If the pan is not wide enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches.
Once browned, remove all chicken from the skillet. Leave the remaining oil and any drippings from the chicken, and add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic directly to the same pan. Sauté until soft and translucent.
Add the bay leaves, rosemary, cremini mushrooms, capers, and oregano, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the red wine vinegar and white wine. Stir for two minutes, until it reduces by about half.
Add the chicken stock and tomatoes to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Tuck the chicken pieces back into the pan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often.
Before serving, remove the garlic (or don’t!). Serve chicken pieces over a bed of polenta with a generous helping of sauce on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.