Chicken Cacciatora

40 minutes

Serves 4. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see questions Lindsey has answered on this recipe

This recipe is from Delia's Complete How to Cook.

This is my version of the famous Italian classic – best made in the autumn when there's a glut of red, ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes, but it's still good in winter, as there are now some well-flavoured varieties available.

Either way, the tomatoes need to be very red and ripe.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to prepare garlic in our video on this page.

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Freezing Chicken Cacciatore

Asked by: Diane Hesford

Can I freeze and reheat Chicken Cacciatore?

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Yes you can, complete the recipe, then leave to cool at room temperature. Freeze in a rigid container with lid for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. To reheat, place in an ovenproof container and cover with foil. Bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until thoroughly hot, adding a little more liquid if necessary to prevent drying out. Ensure it is piping hot before serving. Kind regards Lindsey

Getting ahead with Chicken Cacciatore

Asked by: jax

Would it be ok to cook Delias chicken cacciatore the day before and then reheat it the next day ?

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, It will be ok, but as it needs to be reheated anyway it would be better if it's prepared the day before and then cooked on the day. Brown the chicken then cool, cover and refrigerate & make the sauce up until the point you add the chicken, cool, cover and refrigerate. Then on the next day heat the sauce, add the browned chicken, stir, cover and simmer for 45 minutes (allowing an extra 5 minutes as the chicken will be colder after refrigerating). Best wishes Lindsey

Method

First of all heat the oil in the casserole over a high heat and season the chicken joints with salt and pepper.

Then, when the oil gets really hot and begins to shimmer, fry the chicken – in 2 batches – to brown it well on all sides: remove the first batch to a plate while you tackle the second; each joint needs to be a lovely golden-brown colour all over. When the second batch is ready, remove it to join the rest.

Now add the onions to the casserole, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until they are softened and nicely browned at the edges. Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes. To do this, pour boiling water over them and leave them for exactly 1 minute before draining and slipping off their skins (protect your hands with a cloth if they are too hot), then chop them quite small. You can also watch how to do this in our cookery School Video on this page.

When the onions are browned, add the garlic to the casserole, let this cook for about 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, tomato purée, rosemary, bay leaf, white wine and white wine vinegar. Now add some seasoning and bring it up to the boil, then let it bubble and reduce (without covering) to about half its original volume, which will take about 20 minutes.

Now add the chicken pieces, stir them around a bit, then put the lid on and allow to simmer gently for 40 minutes, until the chicken joints are cooked through. This is good served with green tagliatelle, noodles, rice or a simple vegetable.