In the darkness of the winter night, Orion the Hunter captures my imagination as he strides across the starry sky brandishing his sword and fervently pursuing the beautiful seven sisters, the Pleiades. The star sisters reside in the Taurus constellation, which Orion is also chasing, so they always remain just out of reach as Orion follows Taurus across the night sky. What a love story.
Outside in the cold, I gaze skyward from my chaise lounge bundled in a parka and draped in a blanket. From the deck of our rural cottage in Hollywood Beach Maryland I can see Orion clearly, unlike in Wilmington where surrounding lights obscure the bright stars that form his figure. I follow him as he makes his ascent in the southeastern sky, till finally the cold overtakes me and I scurry to the warmth indoors.
On those starry nights my thoughts leap to the many hearty dishes inspired by Orion the hunter - dishes that warm you from the inside out – chasseur sauce in France, bigos stew in Poland, landjäger smoked Bavarian sausages. But most of all I yearn for the Italian dish, chicken cacciatore.
My approach to Chicken Cacciatore with Roasted Potatoes
Accounts of this classic dish go all the way back to the 1600’s and were invariably associated with the hunt. Developed in central Italy as a dish prepared by hunters on the trail, it featured game such as rabbit, venison, pheasant or wild boar, meats that need long braising to become tender. Heavy seasoning cut the gamey flavor. Foraged ingredients played a starring role, including forest mushrooms, juniper berries and wild herbs. Note this. Tomatoes were never included, just ingredients that hunters could find easily when they needed to cook a meal.
Today, tomato-based preparations abound, chicken is the popular meat and ingredients vary based on those available locally. Despite my search, I could not find a recipe for the definitive preparation. Cooks across Italy each defend their own “correct” approach, which come to think about it, is a very appropriate Italian point of view. Some dishes are made with mushrooms, some without. Some add red wine and some no wine at all. Green peppers find their way into many of the variations. The Ligurians add olives. In Tuscany, spare preparations relying on woodsy herbs such as sage or rosemary abound. In southern tomato-growing regions such as Calabria, both fresh and sundried tomatoes highlight the dish.
For myself, I take the traditional approach, using wine, vinegar, herbs and dried hot peppers to make pollo bianco - no tomatoes. I think it most closely follows the cooking style of the mountainous Abruzzo region where my family is from. Our Italian-American home cooking preserves much of the integrity of the land from which we originated. In Abruzzo, peasants relied on foraging and wild game to stave off hunger. Many families boasted at least one hunter.
Nothing warms me better than this take on hunter’s chicken as I endure this year’s never-ending winter. Inhaling its rich aroma and relishing its bold flavors confirm that the best dishes, such as this one, are borne of simplicity.
So I raise a glass of red wine in thanks to Orion, the inspiration for this dish, and dig into a steaming bowl of this flavorful stew that keeps winter temporarily at bay.
Chicken Cacciatore “Bianco” with Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 Pounds skinless chicken breasts and thighs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
¼ tsp ground pepper
4 tbs vegetable oil
3 cups shitake mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cups diced shallots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 anchovy, chopped
2-3 tbs capers
2 cups white wine
½ cup white wine vinegar
4-6 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder in a ziplock bag. Dredge chicken and shake off excess. In a large dutch oven, brown chicken in 2 tbs oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Wipe dutch oven clean.
Add additional oil to pot and cook mushrooms,, shallots, anchovy and garlic till mushrooms are soft. Return chicken to pot and add next three ingredients.
Braise over low heat for 50-60 minute or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally and skimming off fat. Remove bay leaf and serve with roasted potatoes.
For roasted potatoes, clean one pound small Yukon gold potatoes, cut in half and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve potatoes and chicken with broth on a large platter.
