Chicken Cacciatore

By minicoopercraig

In the pantheon of Italian-American dishes, chicken cacciatore emerges at the top of the nutritional totem pole. That's because it derives its flavor from a lusty stew of tomatoes, peppers, onions and wine-not a blanket of cheese or oil-soaked bread crumbs.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 boneless chicken thighs (or a mix of thighs and drumsticks)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 10-12 green or black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb Italian tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or saute pan over high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin side down. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Lower the heat and add the onion, bell pepper, olives, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it's nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth and tomatoes to the skillet. Return the chicken to the pan, tucking it into the vegetables skin side up, and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat for another 20 minutes, until the chicken is extremely tender and the sauce is reduced by half. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve on soft polenta, quinoa, or a small bed of mashed potatoes.