Name: Chicken Cacciatore
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs (bone-in and skin-on, about 1.8 kg; trim off excess skin); 2.5 tsp salt (1½ tsp for the meat, 1 tsp for the sauce); 0.5 tsp black pepper; 65 g plain flour (for dredging); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, thinly sliced; 6 cloves garlic, chopped; 250 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced; 2 red peppers (capsicums), cut into 6 mm strips; 180 ml dry red wine; 480 ml chicken stock; 400 g tinned tomatoes, diced (preferably fire-roasted); 60 g tomato purée; 2 tbsp sage, chopped; 1 tbsp rosemary, chopped; 1 tsp dried oregano; 0.5 tsp chilli flakes (optional); 1 tbsp honey; parsley, chopped (for sprinkling); pasta or bread (to serve)

Preparation

Pat the thighs dry, rub with 1½ tsp salt and the pepper and dredge in the flour. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or casserole over medium-high heat and brown the thighs in batches, skin side down first for 5 to 7 minutes until golden, then 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. Remove and set aside.
Pour off the fat, leaving about 2 tbsp. Over medium-low heat, sweat the onion for about 5 minutes until soft and just starting to colour, then cook the garlic for 1 minute without browning it.
Add the mushrooms and peppers, turn the heat up to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender.
Pour in the red wine, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom and boil over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until almost completely reduced.
Stir in the stock, tomatoes, tomato purée, sage, rosemary, oregano, chilli, honey and the remaining salt, bring to the boil and simmer gently, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes.
Return the thighs to the pot along with any juices, spoon some sauce over them, bring to the boil and cook, covered, over low heat for about 35 minutes, until the meat is cooked through (core temperature 74 to 77 °C).
Lift the thighs out with a slotted spoon. Reduce the sauce for a few minutes until it reaches the thickness you like, and adjust the seasoning. If you like, pull the skin off the thighs.
Return the meat to the sauce, warm it briefly uncovered and spoon sauce over it. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pasta or bread.

Drink with it

Red wine · excellent match
Sangiovese, e.g. Chianti Classico
Cherry fruit and firm acidity match the tomato sauce, and the herbal notes of Sangiovese pick up the rosemary and sage. Tuscan wine for a Tuscan hunter's stew.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
Red wine · good match
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Soft tannins and dark fruit carry the braised skin and the sweetish peppers without overpowering the chicken.
Rosé · good match
Full-bodied rosato from Sangiovese
Red-berry fruit and fresh acidity keep the sauce light and go well with the tomato purée.
Dark beer · good match
Vienna lager or Märzen
Light roasted-malt notes support the browned skin, and the carbonation refreshes between bites.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue

Preparation

Pat the thighs dry, rub with 1½ tsp salt and the pepper and dredge in the flour. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or casserole over medium-high heat and brown the thighs in batches, skin side down first for 5 to 7 minutes until golden, then 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. Remove and set aside.
Pour off the fat, leaving about 2 tbsp. Over medium-low heat, sweat the onion for about 5 minutes until soft and just starting to colour, then cook the garlic for 1 minute without browning it.
Add the mushrooms and peppers, turn the heat up to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender.
Pour in the red wine, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom and boil over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until almost completely reduced.
Stir in the stock, tomatoes, tomato purée, sage, rosemary, oregano, chilli, honey and the remaining salt, bring to the boil and simmer gently, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes.
Return the thighs to the pot along with any juices, spoon some sauce over them, bring to the boil and cook, covered, over low heat for about 35 minutes, until the meat is cooked through (core temperature 74 to 77 °C).
Lift the thighs out with a slotted spoon. Reduce the sauce for a few minutes until it reaches the thickness you like, and adjust the seasoning. If you like, pull the skin off the thighs.
Return the meat to the sauce, warm it briefly uncovered and spoon sauce over it. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pasta or bread.

Drink with it

Red wine · excellent match
Sangiovese, e.g. Chianti Classico
Cherry fruit and firm acidity match the tomato sauce, and the herbal notes of Sangiovese pick up the rosemary and sage. Tuscan wine for a Tuscan hunter's stew.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
Red wine · good match
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Soft tannins and dark fruit carry the braised skin and the sweetish peppers without overpowering the chicken.
Rosé · good match
Full-bodied rosato from Sangiovese
Red-berry fruit and fresh acidity keep the sauce light and go well with the tomato purée.
Dark beer · good match
Vienna lager or Märzen
Light roasted-malt notes support the browned skin, and the carbonation refreshes between bites.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue

Chicken Cacciatore

Preparation

Drink with it

Sangiovese, e.g. Chianti Classico

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Full-bodied rosato from Sangiovese

Vienna lager or Märzen

This pairs well too.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Fillet with Mushroom Sauce and Spätzle

Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy

Calzone with Ham, Salami and Peppers

Caucasian-Style Pork Neck Shashlik (Schaschlik)

Chicken Cacciatore

Preparation

Drink with it

Sangiovese, e.g. Chianti Classico

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Full-bodied rosato from Sangiovese

Vienna lager or Märzen

This pairs well too.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Fillet with Mushroom Sauce and Spätzle

Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy

Calzone with Ham, Salami and Peppers

Caucasian-Style Pork Neck Shashlik (Schaschlik)