Chicken a la Cacciatora

By Maverick19

Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali

Ingredients

• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• Leaves from 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 Tbsp fresh ground pepper, plus more as needed
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (3 lb) organic broiler chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
• 1 oz dry porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup very hot water
• 2 large red onions, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 lb crimini mushrooms, halved
• 4 oz pancetta, cut into 1 inch dice
• 2 bulbs fennel, cut into 1/2 inch dice, fronds chopped and reserved
• 2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, Rosemary, salt, and black pepper, and add enough olive oil (3-4 Tbsp) to make a somewhat dry paste. Add the chicken and rub the paste evenly over the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight.
2. Place the dry porcini in a bowl and pour the water over them. Set aside to reconstitute for 15.
3. In a Dutch oven, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat until smoking. Brush the excess paste from the chicken pieces and sear, in batches if necessary, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
4. Add the onions, crimini, pancetta, fennel and carrots to the pot, season with salt and black pepper, and cook until the onions are golden brown and the pancetta has rendered its fat, about 10 minutes. Drain off the excess oil, then add the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until it is rust colored. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the stock, the porcini and their soaking liquid and the red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
5. Return the chicken to the pot, cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook for twenty minutes. Uncover and cook until cooked through, 5-10 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a platter, stir the fennel fronds and parsley into the vegetable mixture, top with the sauce and serve.