Pollo alla Cacciatora – Hunter-Style Chicken Recipe
Pollo alla cacciatora, or hunter-style chicken, is a rustic Italian dish of chicken braised in a tomato and vegetable sauce with herbs. It’s something between a stew and roast chicken in sauce – perfect for a family meal when you want one big pot full of flavor.
Pollo alla cacciatora is the essence of homely, “hunter-style” Italian cooking – tender chicken thighs braised in an intense tomato and vegetable sauce with plenty of herbs. The combination of onion, carrot and celery (the classic soffritto) with wine and tomatoes creates a sauce with deep, savory umami flavor that coats the meat beautifully. It’s a dish that smells like a long, lazy Sunday lunch, yet it’s made in a single pot.
Chef's tips
It’s worth taking the time to brown the chicken thoroughly on all sides – the skin should be really well golden, as it will later release its flavor into the sauce. Don’t rush the braising: cook over low heat until the meat starts to come away from the bone on its own; that’s when you know it’s tender and juicy. Be careful with the salt, as the sauce reduces quite a bit – it’s better to season at the end than end up with an overly salty dish.
How to serve
Serve hunter-style chicken with creamy mashed potatoes, polenta or simply with a piece of crusty baguette to mop up every bit of sauce from the plate. To drink, choose a dry red wine such as Sangiovese or Montepulciano, especially if you’re also using wine in the sauce. It’s a great option for a Saturday lunch for several people – you can bring the pot straight to the table, especially if it’s cast iron, and let everyone help themselves.
Ingredients
- chicken thighs with bone and skin you can also use a whole chicken cut into pieces - 4 piece
- flour for dusting the chicken - 2 tablespoons
- onion sliced into thin wedges - 1 piece
- carrot cut into half-moons - 1 piece
- celery stalk cut into slices - 1 stalk
- garlic chopped - 2 cloves
- chopped canned tomatoes - 400 g
- wine can be replaced with stock - 100 ml
- chicken or vegetable stock - 150 ml
- pitted black olives optional, halved - 60 g
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- fresh rosemary or thyme or 1 teaspoon dried - 2 sprigs
- bay leaf - 1 piece
- salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, then lightly dust with flour on both sides, shaking off any excess.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep frying pan or wide pot over medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken pieces skin-side down and fry for 5–7 minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn over and fry for another 3–4 minutes on the other side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- In the same pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the onion, carrot and celery. Fry for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften and take on a little color.
- Add the garlic, rosemary and bay leaf. Fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the red wine, bring to a boil and cook for 2–3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon – that’s where a lot of flavor is.
- Add the canned tomatoes and stock, stir. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, skin-side up. The sauce should come about halfway up the sides of the meat.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is tender and comes away from the bone easily.
- Add the olives for the last 5 minutes of cooking. If the sauce is too thin, cook uncovered for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and any herb sprigs. Serve hot.
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days. The flavors deepen as it rests, and it reheats very well on the stove over low heat or in the microwave.
