Ingredients

CupsMetric

Chicken (Note 1):

• 4 bone in chicken thighs large (1 kg / 2 lb)
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Cacciatore:

• 1 onion , halved, finely sliced
• 2 rosemary sprigs (about 15 cm/6″ long), or 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves , preferably fresh else dried
• 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 3 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp anchovy paste), optional (Note 2)
• 250g / 8 oz mushrooms , sliced
• 2 red capsicum , sliced 8 mm thick (medium, not giant)
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup pinot noir or other dry red wine (Note 3)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 400g/14 oz canned crushed tomato
• 16 whole kalamata olives , pitted, drained
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano

Instructions

Chicken:

• Season – Spread the chicken out on a tray. Sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper.
• Brown skin – Heat the oil over high heat in a large, deep, heavy based pan, preferably one with a lid (Note 4). Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, around 6 minutes. Turn and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute, then remove the chicken onto the same tray. Then add the drumsticks and brown each side as best you can, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side (the shape makes it awkward). Remove onto the tray.

Cacciatore:

• Onion – Pour off and discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Turn the heat down to medium and let the pan cool slightly. Add the onion, rosemary leaves, bay leaves and dried oregano. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is starting to soften.
• Garlic and anchovies – Clear a space in the middle of the pan. Add the anchovies and garlic, cooking, mashing up the anchovies, until the garlic is light golden, then stir it into the onion.
• Vegetables & tomato paste – Turn the heat back up to high. Add the mushroom and capsicum. Stir until softened – about 5 minutes (the mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate). Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the sour flavour – do not shortcut this.
• Sauce – Add the wine. Stir, bring to simmer then allow to reduce by around 75%. Add the stock, canned tomato, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer.
• Simmer – Then carefully place the chicken into the sauce (skin side up) and pour any juices on the tray in as well. When the liquid returns to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to medium then simmer energetically for 20 minutes. Remove lid, add olives, simmer for a further 10 minutes (no lid). This will reduce and thicken the sauce.
• Serve – Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce over mashed potato or polenta, sprinkled with parsley if desired.