Chicken Cacciatore II

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

The Italian favorite recipe for chicken and mushrooms in tomato sauce is enriched with white wine, capers, and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

2 (3 pound) whole chickens, each cut into 8 pieces
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound white button mushrooms, quartered
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

Directions

1 Season the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper.
2 Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Press each chicken piece into the flour and tap off excess.
3 Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until almost smoking hot.
4 Pan-fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Work in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan. Set the browned chicken aside.
5 Stir the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
6 Stir in the mushroom; cook until they release their juice, 5 to 8 more minutes.
7 Mix in oregano, tomatoes, tomato paste, white wine, and chicken stock; bring to a boil.
8 Return the chicken pieces to the sauce, cover the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, 30 to 40 minutes.
9 Stir in capers and sprinkle with basil to serve.