Chicken cacciatore
This one-pot supper is a real crowd-pleaser. The falling-apart, tender chicken with comforting aromatics and Italian flavours of garlic, bay leaf, tomatoes and olives with a bit of chilli heat is gorgeous. Serve with rice, roast potatoes or polenta.
PREP & COOKING TIME 30MIN
SERVES 4
★ 2tbsp olive oil
★ 8 boneless chicken thighs
★ 1 onion, finely chopped
★ 2 garlic cloves, crushed
★ 250ml red wine, such as Chianti
★ 1tsp chilli flakes
★ 100ml good-quality chicken stock
★ Handful of pitted black olives
★ 2 x 400g tinned plum tomatoes
★ 1 bay leaf
★ 4 sprigs of thyme
★ 2 sprigs of rosemary
★ 400g tinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
★ Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof casserole or saucepan over a high heat. Season the chicken thighs all over and add to the hot pan. Fry for 3-4min, turning halfway through cooking until browned on all sides.
Remove to a plate.
2 Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic and fry for 3-4min until golden and soft.
3 Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 1-2min. Return the chicken to the pan and add the chilli flakes, chicken stock, olives, plum tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. Season well and simmer for 15-20min until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has nicely reduced.
4 Stir through the cannellini beans and season before serving.