"Each Italian family seems to have its own variation on this classic dish,” says Stanley Tucci, actor, cookbook author and host of the series Searching for Italy. This version hails from his mother’s side of the family, and it includes tomatoes – an ingredient that cooks on his father’s side of the family typically omitted from their chicken cacciatore. Stanley recommends serving this hearty one-pan meal with a medium-bodied white or a light red wine.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15mins.
Cook Time: 80mins.
Ingredients
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 red or green bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide
½ pound (250 g) mushrooms, cut into ¼ -inch (6mm)-thick slices
One 3-pound (1.5kg) free-range chicken, cut into serving-size pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (125ml) dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 ½ cups (500g) coarsely chopped onions (about 2 medium-size onions)
1 cup (210g) canned whole plum tomatoes or your own favourite marinara sauce
Method
Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the peppers and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Stir the mushrooms into the pan and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and brown lightly on both sides, about 15 minutes in all. Remove the chicken from the pan to a platter and set aside. Pour the wine into the pan stir to incorporate any cooking juices. Add the garlic and onions and cook until the onions are slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand or the back of a slotted spoon as you add them to the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Stir the peppers and mushrooms into the chicken. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook to blend in the flavour of these ingredients, about 10 minutes. The cacciatore may be set aside at this point for several hours before reheating and serving with bread to dip into the sauce.
Wine Pairing: Medium white and light red
Recipe from The Tucci Cookbook, by Stanley Tucci with Joan and Stan Tucci, Gianni Scappin and Mimi Taft (Gallery Books, 2012)
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