Chicken Cacciatore

For Christmas this year Chris bought me a beautiful red dutch oven which just-so-happens to match my shiny red Kitchen Aid mixer.  It wasn't Le Crueset (too rich for my blood though now having one already doesn't stop me from dreaming and entering giveaways on blogs!) but it works wonderfully and the cost wasn't so painful to bare.  Brand names, though a nice touch, aren't everything to me.  And, since it came from Costco, if anything happens to it (like chipping, for example), they'll let you return it in the future.  Love their return policies!

I wanted to choose the perfect dish to highlight the properties of a dutch oven and when I saw this Chicken Cacciatore recipe pop up on Pioneer Woman's site I knew this was it.  The cast iron construction provides a nice even, hot temperature for perfectly searing the chicken in this dish while the enamel prevents sticking and makes for easier clean up.  It also transfers from stovetop to oven beautifully for a long, slow simmering helping the delicious flavors to meld into something magical.  This is a perfect dish to make on a lazy snowy weekend or weekday when you're snowed in.  The smells are wonderful but the taste.  Wow the taste!

I halved the recipe and it served four of us and still some leftovers.  Pioneer Woman must make hearty portions (I can imagine things are bigger on farms!)...either that or we were just overwhelmed from Christmas treats still as we feasted on this mouthwatering meal :).

One Year Ago: Crockpot 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Chicken Cacciatore
Printer-Friendly Version

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound Pasta Or Egg Noodles
• 8 whole Chicken Thighs, Skin On (can Use Any Whole Piece Chicken)
• Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Halved And Sliced
• 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced (not Too Thin)
• 2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced (not Too Thin)
• 5 cloves Garlic, Diced
• 12 ounces, weight Mushrooms (white Or Crimini), Sliced
• ½ teaspoons Ground Thyme
• ¼ teaspoons Turmeric
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• Red Pepper Flakes, Crushed, To Taste (optional)
• ¾ cups Dry White Wine
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Or Diced Tomatoes (with Their Juice)
• Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
• Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.
3. Salt and pepper both sides of the pieces of chicken. Dredge chicken in flour. Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin down in pan, four pieces at a time. Brown chicken on both sides, then remove to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining chicken. Pour off half the fat in the pan and discard.
4. Add sliced onions and peppers, as well as the garlic. Stir around for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stir around for 1 minute. Add thyme, turmeric, and salt. (And crushed red pepper flakes if you like things a little spicy.) Add extra black pepper to taste. Stir, then pour in wine. Allow to bubble.
5. Pour in canned tomatoes and stir to combine. Add chicken back into the pan, skin side up, without totally submerging the chicken. Place lid on the pot and put it into the oven for 45 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to 375 degrees. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.
6. Remove pan from the oven. Remove chicken from the pot and place it on a plate. Remove vegetables from pot and place them on a plate. Return pot to burner and turn heat to medium high. Cook and reduce sauce for a couple of minutes.
7. Pour cooked, drained noodles on a large platter or in a big serving bowl. Add vegetables all over the top, then place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. Spoon juices from the pot over the chicken and pasta (amount to taste.)
8. Before serving, sprinkle on chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.

 Source: Pioneer Woman