Pollo alla cacciatora

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Filippo Trapella serves up a classic pollo alla cacciatora recipe, or hunter's chicken stew as it's known in English. The key to this dish lies in the intense tomato and red wine sauce flavoured with fragrant rosemary and juniper. For some handy tips, check out our guide to jointing a chicken – you can use the remaining carcass to make a fantastic homemade stock.

First published in 2016

The pollo alla cacciatora is a simple and traditional dish prepared with some little differences in almost all the regions of Italy. The chicken is jointed into pieces and quickly pan-fried, then slowly stewed in a tasty tomato sauce. Rosemary, garlic and wine are essential to donate a characteristic flavour. Even if it’s possible braise the meat with white wine, I suggest red wine to make the taste of the sauce bold!

Ingredients

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Imperial

Pollo alla cacciatora

  • 1 chicken, skin-on, jointed
  • 1 white onion, sliced into thin half-rings
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 500ml of passata
  • 1 tbsp of tomato paste, triple-concentrated
  • 270ml of red wine, (1 glass)
  • 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 juniper berries, crushed
  • black pepper
  • table salt

Method

1
To begin, place a stainless steel or enamel pan over a medium heat with 3 tbsp of the oil. Pan-fry the chicken in batches (without overcrowding the pan), browning all over
2
When all of the chicken has been browned, set aside and cover
3
Pour the red wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping any meaty residue from the bottom of the pan. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, then set the reduction aside
4
Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion, garlic, juniper berries and rosemary until the onions are gold and translucent
5
Add the chicken pieces to the pan with the tomato paste and fry for 5 minutes over a medium heat
6
Increase the heat and add the red wine reduction. Cook for 5 minutes more, then stir in the passata
7
Place a lid on the pan and gently stew the pollo alla cacciatora over a low heat for 1 hour
8
Season with salt and a dash of black pepper. Serve piping hot with bread, white rice or polenta
First published in 2016

Born and raised in Bologna, Filippo is a food blogger and supper club host with a passion for traditional Italian dishes.

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