Chicken Cacciatore-ish with Mozzarella and Castelvetrano Olives
Chicken Cacciatore-ish with Mozzarella and Castelvetrano Olives
by BushyEyes
2 Comments
BushyEyes
FWIW, I know mozzarella typically doesn’t go on cacciatore, but this take is based on how my dad used to make cacciatore for us. If you want to keep it more traditional, you can skip the mozzarella. You can also skip the olives if you want, but I like them in the sauce.
Note: For the purpose of the video and not needing to cook chicken in batches, I only used 4 chicken thighs (the ones I bought were huge). For the amount of sauce in the recipe, I recommend 6 thighs for 6 servings.
* 1 tablespoon neutral oil * 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs * 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced * 3 carrots, peeled and diced * 8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced * 3 tablespoons butter * 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced * 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or use 1 teaspoon dry thyme and 1 teaspoon dry oregano) * ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper * 10-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced * 2 tablespoons tomato paste * ½ cup red wine * 14.5-ounce can cherry or whole peeled tomatoes * 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes * Pinch of sugar, optional * 6-ounce jar pitted Castelvetrano olives, drained and torn in half * 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced into rounds * Extra virgin olive oil * Salt and pepper to taste
**For serving:**
* Cooked pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta (or crusty bread or polenta) * Minced parsley
**Fry the chicken:**
1. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. 2. Heat the 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken thighs, in batches if needed, skin-side down. Cook without moving for 5 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and releases easily from the bottom of the pot. Flip and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Keep the pot on medium-high heat.
**Cook the aromatics:**
1. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot. Cook, stirring regularly, for 8–10 minutes. Season all over with salt and pepper. 2. Add the diced onion and carrots to the mushrooms. Sauté an additional 8 minutes until the onions begin to soften. 3. Melt the butter into the pot and add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the red bell peppers and cook for 1 minute.
**Brown the tomato paste:**
1. Add the tomato paste to the pot. Cook, stirring and mashing the paste into the pot, for 3–4 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium as needed to prevent it from burning. The paste will sizzle, deepen in color, and stick to the bottom of the pot. 2. Pour the wine into the pot and bring it to a boil. Stir to lift anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
**Simmer the sauce:**
1. Add both cans of tomatoes. Add a pinch of sugar if you like. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, taste the sauce, and add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed. Add the chicken to the pot, spooning the sauce so that it completely covers the chicken. 2. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure that the sauce isn’t sticking. 3. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and add the torn olives, stirring them into the sauce. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
**Finish the chicken cacciatore:**
1. Turn on the broiler. Remove the lid from the pot. Arrange the sliced mozzarella on top and drizzle with a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to the broiler for 2–4 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Turn off the broiler and remove the pot from the oven.
**To serve:**
1. Sprinkle the chicken and sauce with freshly minced parsley. Serve with pasta or crusty bread. Enjoy!
2 Comments
FWIW, I know mozzarella typically doesn’t go on cacciatore, but this take is based on how my dad used to make cacciatore for us. If you want to keep it more traditional, you can skip the mozzarella. You can also skip the olives if you want, but I like them in the sauce.
Note: For the purpose of the video and not needing to cook chicken in batches, I only used 4 chicken thighs (the ones I bought were huge). For the amount of sauce in the recipe, I recommend 6 thighs for 6 servings.
* 1 tablespoon neutral oil
* 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
* 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
* 3 carrots, peeled and diced
* 8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
* 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or use 1 teaspoon dry thyme and 1 teaspoon dry oregano)
* ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 10-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* ½ cup red wine
* 14.5-ounce can cherry or whole peeled tomatoes
* 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
* Pinch of sugar, optional
* 6-ounce jar pitted Castelvetrano olives, drained and torn in half
* 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced into rounds
* Extra virgin olive oil
* Salt and pepper to taste
**For serving:**
* Cooked pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta (or crusty bread or polenta)
* Minced parsley
**Fry the chicken:**
1. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken thighs, in batches if needed, skin-side down. Cook without moving for 5 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and releases easily from the bottom of the pot. Flip and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Keep the pot on medium-high heat.
**Cook the aromatics:**
1. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot. Cook, stirring regularly, for 8–10 minutes. Season all over with salt and pepper.
2. Add the diced onion and carrots to the mushrooms. Sauté an additional 8 minutes until the onions begin to soften.
3. Melt the butter into the pot and add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the red bell peppers and cook for 1 minute.
**Brown the tomato paste:**
1. Add the tomato paste to the pot. Cook, stirring and mashing the paste into the pot, for 3–4 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium as needed to prevent it from burning. The paste will sizzle, deepen in color, and stick to the bottom of the pot.
2. Pour the wine into the pot and bring it to a boil. Stir to lift anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
**Simmer the sauce:**
1. Add both cans of tomatoes. Add a pinch of sugar if you like. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, taste the sauce, and add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed. Add the chicken to the pot, spooning the sauce so that it completely covers the chicken.
2. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure that the sauce isn’t sticking.
3. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and add the torn olives, stirring them into the sauce. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF.
**Finish the chicken cacciatore:**
1. Turn on the broiler. Remove the lid from the pot. Arrange the sliced mozzarella on top and drizzle with a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to the broiler for 2–4 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Turn off the broiler and remove the pot from the oven.
**To serve:**
1. Sprinkle the chicken and sauce with freshly minced parsley. Serve with pasta or crusty bread. Enjoy!
Cheese on bone in chicken is.. idk