As winter draws to a close in the MidAtlantic there’s still time to savor a hearty Italian winter stew – chicken cacciatore, or in English, hunter’s stew. It’s named because in its origins the dish was prepared in the wild using ingredients the hunters could forage while on an expedition improvised based on what was in season. It’s traditionally made with naturally lean game meat like rabbit with a savory mix of fresh mushrooms and onions and herbs. The stew is earthy and sumptuous, with deep flavor and herbal brightness.
In the book we are reading in the Cook the Books group, The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan this dish plays an ongoing role. One of the leading characters, Nell, is taught to make it by the Italian POW Paolo who is among prisoners near the estate where Nell lives. For him the dish is a loving preparation and he becomes her love interest. She prepares it for the cooking contest which is central to the book. The dish won a round in the competition and she became an eventual winner too, earning a spot on the BBC’s Kitchen Front radio program. The show was a real BBC production in the 1940’s but the characters in the book are fictional.
In instructing her to make the dish Paolo tells her, ”The first I do is to show you to cook real Italian food. See here, I have made a fire so wait here. He darts to a hidden shed, coming out with two platters of raw ingredients. Here we have food to cook. I show you for your contest. He grinned, and then you will come to meet my grandmother when this was is over”.
The recipe which follows isn’t exactly his but an adaptation based on my own preparation. You can use any stew cut of game meat if you have access but I use chicken. It’s easy to make and is essentially a one pot meal.
There’s still time to enjoy so mangia!
This is my contribution to the current cycle of Cook the Books, hosted this time by Claudia of Honey From Rock. We thank her for coordinating..
Chicken Cacciatore/Hunter’s Chicken
Ingredients
½ oz dried mushrooms like porcini (1/2 cup)
2 tbs olive oil
6-8 skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1 onion minced
1 carrot minced
3 ribs celery minced
2 garlic cloves diced
2 tbs chopped parsley
1 tbs fresh rosemary chopped (no stems)
red pepper flakes to taste
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup red wine
1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes in juice, pulse in food processor
Preparation
Reconstitute dried mushrooms in 2 cups boiling water. Set aside till softened. Save 1 cup of the water. Rinse the mushrooms till water comes clear.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Brown in the olive oil in batches for ~5 minutes per side. Set aside. Add the vegetables and herbs except the tomatoes to the skillet and cook till softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the wine and cook for ~5 minutes until the liquid has reduced. Add the tomatoes and more seasoning to taste. Cook the tomatoes till they have softened. Add the reserved mushroom liquid.
Return the chicken thighs to the skillet making sure they are submerged in the tomato liquid. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes or till tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve over pasta or rice.
