Pollo alla Cacciatora

Name: Pollo alla Cacciatora
Cook time: 85 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1.5 kg Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks, bone-in and skin-on; 1 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt, plus more to taste; 1 tsp Pepper (Black), freshly ground; 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 1 Carrots, finely chopped; 1 stalk of Celery, finely chopped; 3 cloves of Garlic, sliced; 150ml Red Wine, dry; 400g San Marzano Tomatoes (Canned), peeled and crushed by hand; 2 sprigs of Rosemary, fresh; 6 leaves of Sage, fresh; 1 leaf of Bay Leaf; 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

Pollo alla Cacciatora is a rustic Italian hunter's stew of golden-browned chicken simmered in a fragrant tomato and red wine sauce with aromatic herbs and vegetables. The long, slow braise makes the meat tender while the sauce reduces to a rich, tangy finish—perfect served with crusty bread, polenta, or mashed potatoes. It's comforting, deeply flavored, and wonderfully homey.

Pollo alla Cacciatora is a rustic Italian hunter's stew of golden-browned chicken simmered in a fragrant tomato and red wine sauce... Show more

Traditional Italian Recipe

Health Grade

B · Healthy

Rating

4.2

Time

1 hr20 min

Price

1,21 €

Calories

696 kcal

one pot

gluten free

high protein

low carb

Method

Season the chicken

Pat the chicken thighs and drumsticks dry with paper towels, then season them all over with the fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let them sit while you prep the vegetables so the seasoning has a moment to settle in and the skin starts out dry for better browning.

Prep the vegetables

Peel the onion and carrot, trim the celery, and peel the garlic. Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery, then slice the garlic. Keep the rosemary sprigs and sage leaves whole, and have the bay leaf ready for the pot.

Brown the chicken

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken skin-side down in batches and sear without moving it until the skin is deep golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes; flip and brown the other side for another 4 to 5 minutes, then move the pieces to a plate.

Soften the vegetables

If the pan looks greasy, spoon off a little fat, leaving just a thin coating. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and the onion turns translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic for the last 1 minute so it smells fragrant but does not brown.

Deglaze the pan

Pour in the dry red wine and scrape up every browned bit from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble until the sharp alcohol smell softens and the liquid has reduced by about half, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Simmer the sauce

Add the hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, the rosemary sprigs, sage leaves, and bay leaf, then nestle the chicken back into the sauce with any juices from the plate. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is rich and glossy, about 35 to 40 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar, taste for salt and pepper, and remove the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs before serving.

Serve

If you have not already, discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Spoon the chicken and sauce onto warm plates or a platter, making sure each serving gets plenty of the vegetables and tomato sauce, and bring it to the table right away.