Jan 16, 2012

Almost chicken cacciatore


I call this my almost chicken cacciatore, firstly because it is really just my twist on a chicken cacciatore and secondly because the original dish usually has olives added which I didn't have on hand.



I find one pot dishes like this to be really quick and delicious dinners. It has all the protein and vegetables in it already so you only need the addition of steamed rice or crusty bread for a complete meal.


I also like using chicken drumsticks because I think that we have gone away from using meat on the bone a lot of the time yet it has so much more flavour. If the skin bothers you, it's easy enough to remove. This is also a recipe that can be made in large quatities to feed a crowd if needed.

The majority of the time I am just cooking for Mr Shady Pine and I, so I cook up a big batch of this and freeze it into portions for evenings when I don't have the time or inclination to cook dinner. In fact I've often been saved by dishes I had cooked and stashed away in the freezer for later.

What is your favourite one pot dish?



Almost Chicken Cacciatore
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
8 chicken drumsticks
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 small onion, diced
3 sticks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
½ red capsicum, sliced
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbs raw sugar
400 gm can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
¼ cup chopped parsley

1. In a heavy bottomed pot or pan, heat the olive oil and brown the chicken drumsticks in batches if necessary. Remove chicken from the pan.
2. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots and capsicum and sauté over medium heat until onions are transparent. Stir in the white wine vinegar.
3. Add dried herbs and tomato paste and fry for 1 minute.
4. Return the chicken and any juices back to the pan.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, sugar and S&P to taste.
6. Cover and simmer over low heat for approx 40 minutes until chicken is tender. At the end of the cooking time, stir in the parsley.
7. Serve with steamed rice.

8 comments:

Vonnie said...

Looks amazing Anna!!!! So much easier than I thought!

The Shady Pine said...

Thanks Vonnie!

Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy said...

Looks like a great weeknight dinner. Comfort food at its best during this rainy weather Sydney is having!

Jen @ pretty plate said...

This looks delicious! I love that you can freeze it too. Might have to try this one this week.

: ))
Jen

Hotly Spiced said...

What a great recipe and that is something everyone in my family would enjoy. I love one-pot dinners too. Tonight I'm cooking butter chicken curry.

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

I agree, meat on the bone has so much more flavour. This looks delicious! :)

Anna (Morsels and Musings) said...

this is something i'd definitely like to cook on a week night. yum

Eva kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com said...

We make a similar recipe except we often add mushrooms; it's wonderful served on a bed of mixed greens or just spinach and arugula. The heat of the sauce wilts the greens just a bit! I sprinkle a little cayenne on top for some heat! It's delicious the next day too for lunch!