Hen Cacciatore, “Hunter’s Stew” or Pollo Cacciatore in Italian, is a hearty, rustic stew made with rooster and greens simmered in a tomato sauce wealthy with wine and herbs. Easy, cosy, downright tasty selfmade consolation meals!
Hen cacciatore – an Italian rooster stew
I’ve a smooth spot for rooster stews (proof right here and right here and right here) since you get all of the stewy-goodness that takes hours with beef stew in below an hour. As a result of, thanks rooster, you cook dinner quick and we don’t have to take you to fall-apart-goodness to be juicy perfection!
In the present day’s rooster stew is Hen Cacciatore. “Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian and in cooking it generally refers to a stewy-type meal made with tomatoes, onion, herbs and normally pink wine through which a protein is braised, sometimes rooster and rabbit, although I’ve additionally seen lamb and vegetarian variations.
Cacciatore is a kind of meals the place there aren’t any guidelines or one solution to make it, which suggests there are numerous regional varieties and household recipes throughout Italy and the world.
And right now, I’m sharing my model which, in exterior of Italy (actually in Australia) could be thought-about a reasonably traditional model made with standard decisions together with rooster with onions, mushrooms and capsicum (bell peppers).
The tomato based mostly stew sauce is flavoured with pink wine, rosemary, bay leaves and dried oregano, in addition to the flavours from the rooster, greens and complete olives (don’t skip this!). It’s all simmered collectively for half-hour which is sufficient time for the flavours to meld collectively and for the rooster to be cooked by to juicy perfection, however a lot quicker to make than a sluggish cooked beef stew!
Elements in Hen Cacciatore
Right here’s what that you must make this Hen Cacciatore.
Finest rooster for Hen Cacciatore
As a result of the sauce must be simmered for half-hour to permit it to develop flavour and thicken, we’d like a reduce of rooster that may maintain as much as that simmer time. Bone in thighs and drumsticks are the reply! Bonus: Juicier, tastier and cheaper than boneless rooster breast. 🙂
Mixture of thighs and drumsticks – I like to make use of a mixture of thighs and drumsticks, however you need to use only one or the opposite. Use as many as you may match within the pan, taking into account they may shrink a bit as they cook dinner (I take advantage of 4 of every, round 1.6kg / 3lb in whole). This can feed 4 adults with hearty appetites (one thigh and one drumstick every), or 6 smaller servings (both 1 thigh or 2 drumsticks per particular person).
Different appropriate cuts – Hen Marylands (quarters) would even be ultimate! I’d use 4.
Boneless thighs or breast – Nonetheless, in the event you desire or solely have boneless thighs or breast, I’ve popped instructions within the recipe notes for tips on how to modify the recipe (simply add them again into the sauce in direction of the tip of the simmer time so that they don’t overcook).
Greens and herbs
Bugger! I forgot dried oregano within the photograph. 🙂
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Mushrooms – I simply use common white / button mushrooms. Be happy to make use of different sorts.
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Capsicum (bell peppers) – This imparts a definite flavour into the sauce which I really like and affiliate with the “cacciatore” flavour. So I at all times use capsicum!
My brother prefers fennel which could be very on theme, being a vegetable broadly utilized in conventional Italian cooking. He additionally threw out the assertion “capsicum is soooo pedestrian, fennel makes it extra fascinating!”. The entire RecipeTin Household could be very opinionated about meals! 😂 Each fennel and capsicum are beautiful on this dish. You select! There is no such thing as a proper reply.
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Bay leaves – I like to make use of recent as a result of I’ve a plant (glorious one to develop in a pot, exhausting to by chance kill). Nonetheless, dried will work nice too.
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Rosemary – Utilizing sprigs of recent rosemary type of “perfumes” the sauce in a manner that dried rosemary is not going to. So actually attempt to use recent in the event you can, although it may be substituted with dried rosemary.
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Dried oregano – By chance overlooked of the photograph! I desire to make use of dried reasonably than recent as a result of it has an earthier flavour that I feel works higher for this dish.
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Onion and garlic – Important flavour base for the sauce!
Cacciatore sauce substances
As talked about above, anchovies are the “secret ingredient” that add depth of flavour into this tomato based mostly sauce with out making it style fishy in any respect. I doubt even somebody with a very refined palette would know it’s in there. However, in the event you’re actually anti-anchovies, you need to use fish sauce as an alternative (related savouriness) or boring ole’ salt!
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Anchovies – Use the anchovies in oil that is available in jars and cans. The anchovies are gray and salty. Don’t use the white anchovies in a vinegary oil which can be dearer. These are made for popping straight into your mouth reasonably than cooking with! I put them on charcuterie boards.
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Purple wine – Wine is used to flavour the sauce however as soon as cooked, it gained’t style winey. I like to make use of pinot noir for cooking so that is the one I’ve available on a regular basis. Nonetheless, any dry pink wine can be utilized, or substituted with white wine. There is no such thing as a want to make use of costly wine right here, it’s wasted! Get a steeply discounted bottle from the low cost bins on the liquor retailer.
Non-alcoholic substitute – The alcohol within the wine is generally cooked out as a result of we scale back the wine then the sauce is simmered for an additional half-hour. Nonetheless, in the event you want an alcohol-free possibility, use further rooster inventory as an alternative.
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Kalamata olives – Use complete, pitted kalamata olives. The brine goodness of the olives provides each flavour and salt into the sauce, so don’t skip it! (Observe: I manner desire the flavour and texture of Kalamata olives over normal “black olives” that are firmer and have much less flavour).
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Hen inventory/broth – Low sodium please. This fashion we are able to management the extent of salt we add. I at all times fear when utilizing full salt rooster inventory that sauces find yourself too salty and you may’t undo it.
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Tomato – Tomato paste and canned tomato. The tomato paste thickens the sauce (so we don’t want flour or different thickener) and provides an additional hit of tomato flavour.
Tips on how to make Hen Cacciatore
Brown rooster pores and skin > sauté veg > simmer half-hour. Straightforward!
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Season – Lay the rooster out on a tray then sprinkle either side with salt and pepper.
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Brown – Utilizing a big pan with a lid (mine is 30cm/12″ vast, this Pyrolux, it appears to solely be out there in Australia). Sear the pores and skin aspect of the thighs till golden (about 6 minutes) then the flesh aspect for just one minute. Put it again on the identical strive then brown the drumsticks as finest you may (due to the form, you may’t brown it evenly, that’s okay).
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Sauté & dissolve anchovies – Sauté the onion with the rosemary and bay leaves till the onion is softened. Then clear an area in the midst of the pan and cook dinner the garlic with the anchovies, mashing up the anchovies as you go (ie no have to mince with a knife, simply add them in complete). Then combine the garlic and anchovies up with the onion.
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Cook dinner greens – Add the capsicum and mushrooms and cook dinner for five minutes till softened. The mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate, by this time they need to be softened.
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Cook dinner off tomato paste – Add the tomato paste and cook dinner for two minutes. This can take off the bitter edge and enhance the flavour, so don’t skip this step.
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Sauce – Add the wine and scale back by about 3/4 (to cook dinner out the winey flavour, forsaking simply the tasty wine flavour). Then add the canned tomato, rooster inventory/broth, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
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Simmer – As soon as the sauce comes as much as a simmer, gently place the rooster items in, skin-side up. Then put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes on medium. The liquid needs to be simmering gently, not quickly (it can spill over if it does).
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Olives & thicken sauce – Take away the lid and add the olives. Then simmer for an additional 10 minutes with out the lid. The olives will soften and meld into the sauce, and the sauce will scale back and thicken.
And that’s it! Able to serve!
Serve over mashed potato or polenta, a wonderful on-theme possibility for Italian meals. For those who don’t have the time to make “actual” polenta (which does take a superb 40 minutes or so), purchase “immediate polenta” or “fast polenta” which takes 5 to 10 minutes on the range.
It’s additionally beautiful over plain rice or simply served in a bowl with crusty bread on the aspect for mopping. Serve it with a leafy inexperienced salad on the aspect tossed with my On a regular basis Salad Dressing (or improve to Italian Dressing) for a easy midweek meal. Or in the event you’re making this for a Sunday Supper with household and pals, go all out by serving it with a Mega Italian Salad, garlic bread and a heat Cinnamon Rice Pudding or Baked Stuffed Apples for dessert. Swoon! – Nagi x
Watch tips on how to make it
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Hen Cacciatore
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook dinner: 55 minutes
Mains
Italian
Servings4 – 6
Faucet or hover to scale
Elements
Cacciatore:
- 1 onion , halved, finely sliced
- 2 rosemary sprigs (about 15 cm/6″ lengthy), or 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves , ideally recent else dried
- 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 3 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp anchovy paste), optionally available (Observe 2)
- 250g / 8 oz mushrooms , sliced
- 2 pink capsicum , sliced 8 mm thick (medium, not large)
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 3/4 cup pinot noir or different dry pink wine (Observe 3)
- 2 cups rooster inventory/broth , low sodium
- 400g/14 oz canned crushed tomato
- 16 complete kalamata olives , pitted, drained
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Directions
Hen:
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Season – Unfold the rooster out on a tray. Sprinkle each side with the salt and pepper.
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Brown pores and skin – Warmth the oil over excessive warmth in a big, deep, heavy based mostly pan, ideally one with a lid (Observe 4). Place the rooster thighs within the pan, pores and skin aspect down, and cook dinner till the pores and skin is golden brown, round 6 minutes. Flip and cook dinner the flesh aspect for simply 1 minute, then take away the rooster onto the identical tray. Then add the drumsticks and brown either side as finest you may, about 1 1/2 minutes on either side (the form makes it awkward). Take away onto the tray.
Cacciatore:
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Onion – Pour off and discard all however about 2 tablespoons of fats. Flip the warmth all the way down to medium and let the pan cool barely. Add the onion, rosemary leaves, bay leaves and dried oregano. Cook dinner for 3 minutes till the onion is beginning to soften.
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Garlic and anchovies – Clear an area in the midst of the pan. Add the anchovies and garlic, cooking, mashing up the anchovies, till the garlic is mild golden, then stir it into the onion.
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Greens & tomato paste – Flip the warmth again as much as excessive. Add the mushroom and capsicum. Stir till softened – about 5 minutes (the mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate). Add the tomato paste and cook dinner for two minutes to cook dinner out the bitter flavour – don’t shortcut this.
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Sauce – Add the wine. Stir, deliver to simmer then permit to scale back by round 75%. Add the inventory, canned tomato, salt and pepper. Stir, deliver to a simmer.
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Simmer – Then rigorously place the rooster into the sauce (pores and skin aspect up) and pour any juices on the tray in as properly. When the liquid returns to a simmer, cowl, scale back the warmth to medium then simmer energetically for 20 minutes. Take away lid, add olives, simmer for an additional 10 minutes (no lid). This can scale back and thicken the sauce.
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Serve – Serve the rooster with loads of sauce over mashed potato or polenta, sprinkled with parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Boneless cuts – For those who choose to make use of boneless thighs as an alternative, sear the floor briefly then add into the sauce for the final 10 minutes of simmering time. For rooster breast, use 4 to six, pound to even 1.5cm / 0.6″ thickness, sear then and return into the sauce for the final 5 to eight minutes of simmering time till the interior temperature is 67C/153F. Take away rooster from the sauce and relaxation for 3 minutes earlier than serving with sauce.
2. Anchovies are a properly documented supplier of additional flavour into dishes, and when used accurately (like right here!) you may’t style any fishiness in any respect. Belief me! However, in the event you merely can’t do it, substitute with 2 tsp fish sauce (add with canned tomato) or as a final resort, add an additional 1/2 tsp salt into the sauce.
3. Wine – For non alcoholic, use extra rooster inventory.
4. The pot you see pictured is 30cm / 12″ vast, this Pyrolux (Australia). For those who don’t have a lid, simply pop a baking tray on the pan in the course of the simmering part. It’s okay if the rooster isn’t totally submerged, simply do the very best you may. Any uncovered components will steam-cook.
Leftovers will hold for 4 days within the fridge or 3 months within the freezer.
Vitamin per serving assuming 6 servings, excludes mashed potato.
Vitamin Data:
Energy: 495cal (25%)Carbohydrates: 15g (5%)Protein: 37g (74%)Fats: 30g (46%)Saturated Fats: 8g (50%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 6gMonounsaturated Fats: 13gTrans Fats: 0.1gLdl cholesterol: 185mg (62%)Sodium: 976mg (42%)Potassium: 1035mg (30%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 8g (9%)Vitamin A: 1747IU (35%)Vitamin C: 63mg (76%)Calcium: 68mg (7%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
Lifetime of Dozer
When Dozer made the quilt of gossip mags!!!
OK, so he’s a small inset on the quilt – however nonetheless! Test one off his bucket checklist! 🙌🏻😂
This was press in relation to slightly visitor choose look I did for Masterchef Australia which aired on Monday seventeenth June which you may watch right here on Ten Play. What an expertise! I’ll share extra about it in an upcoming life happenings replace. 🙂
On the well being entrance, Dozer is doing so properly! His power ranges and energy have improved to the purpose that he’s breaking out right into a run with out me having to coax him like I used to. He needs to play, he’s again to chasing birds, trotting into the kitchen at any time when I pull one thing tasty out of the oven and I even take him on skilled shoot days once more! 🥰
I really feel so grateful and relieved that he’s recovered okay from his surgical procedure to get an inexpensive degree of normalcy again into his life. Most significantly to me, he’s completely happy and again to having fun with life – and meals!
Love this darn canine so darn a lot.
