Weekend Recipe: Chicken Cacciatore
To turn a braised dish of bone-in chicken parts into a quick weeknight meal, Cook's Country called on boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Browning them, along with meaty portobello mushrooms, created flavorful fond. Onions, red peppers, and plenty of garlic and fresh herbs came next, and deglazing the pan with red wine added even more depth. We finished cooking the chicken in the bubbling sauce (rounded out with chicken broth and diced tomatoes) to let all the flavors blend.
Chicken Cacciatore
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, cups halved and sliced thin
1 pound onions, halved and sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer mushrooms to plate with chicken. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, bell pepper and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, rosemary and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and any accumulated chicken juice and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juice. Stir in broth and bring to boil. Nestle chicken and mushrooms into skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until chicken registers 160 degrees, about 10 minutes, flipping chicken once halfway through cooking.
4. Transfer chicken to platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Continue to simmer sauce until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve.