Chicken Cacciatore

Any colored peppers will work

One day I plan to make cacciatore with rabbit, because it is a hunter’s stew. But rabbit is a hard meat to find, even in a butcher shop in the South, and I am a poor shot. Until then chicken thighs work just fine and I imagine many people may prefer it that way. Any color combination of peppers will work but one green pepper in the mix gives the best result.

Chicken Cacciatore

• 4 chicken thighs skin on
• 2 quarts marinara
• 1 medium onion diced medium small
• 2 peppers chopped medium
• 8 large mushrooms chopped medium
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups fresh chicken stock
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano chopped fine
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped fine
• Salt/pepper
• Pasta of choice

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add chicken and brown over medium heat. Remove chicken from pan and add onion. Saute onion until translucent in rendered fat scrapping up any bits stuck to pan. Meanwhile remove chicken skin and discard. Add mushrooms and cook until softened when onion is ready. Add peppers and wine and deglaze pan. Cook down the wine till reduced by half and add chicken and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and add marinara and stock. Bring to a boil and turn heat to low. Cover pan by 3/4 with a lid and cook until chicken is done and sauce is thick, about 1 1/2 hours. Cook pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Drain pasta and mix with parsley. Serve chicken over pasta covered in sauce.