Hunter-style chicken, or pollo alla cacciatora, is popular throughout Italy and particularly beloved in Toscana, where mushrooms and rosemary are two favored ingredients. Browned chicken simmers in a savory sauce of tomatoes, white wine and capers, then goes over a bed of polenta.
Ingredients for 4 people
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces or 8 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 2-3 whole garlic cloves
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup white wine
- 16 ounces chicken stock
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Chopped parsley, to garnish
How to make Pollo alla Cacciatora
- Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. In a wide braising pan, heat the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil sizzles. Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will fit without touching, skin side down.
- Once browned, remove all the chicken from the pan. Leave the remaining oil and any drippings, and add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic directly to the same pan. Sauté until soft and translucent.
- Add the bay leaves, rosemary, cremini mushrooms, capers and oregano, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the red wine vinegar and white wine. Stir for 2 minutes, until the liquid reduces by about half.
- Add the chicken stock and tomatoes to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Tuck the chicken pieces back into the pan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often.
- Before serving, remove the garlic (or don't). Serve the chicken over a bed of polenta with a generous helping of sauce on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Tips
Browning the chicken
Do not crowd the pan. If it is not wide enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches.
