Dinner Tonight: Fat Boy's Chicken Cacciatore

I was trying to decide how to use some chicken that had been sitting in the fridge all weekend, and decided a nice rustic cacciatore would be perfect on this cold winter night.  

Cacciatores are done lots of different ways in different parts of Italy, but this is the way my Dad always made it.  Instead of cutting up a whole chicken like he would have I used what I had, four boneless skinless chicken breasts.  The flavor would have been even richer with a whole chicken, because there is so much flavor in the skin and bones of a chicken that come out in a low temperature cooking method like this.  

The great flavors of bell peppers and tomatoes combine with the chicken the wine to make a wonderful sauce that thickens greatly with the starch from the potatoes and beans to make a rustic yet amazing one pot dinner.  Give this one a try, you'll fall in love with the layers of flavor that it creates.

Fat Boy's Chicken Cacciatore

YIELD

 8 servings

ACTIVE TIME

 30

TOTAL TIME

 90

INGREDIENTS

• • 2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 cup red wine (I prefer Chianti for this recipe)
  • 1 lb fresh potatoes, quartered
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can cannelloni beans
  • salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Shake the chicken pieces in flour until coated. Heat the oil in a large skillet (one that has a cover/lid). Fry the chicken pieces until they are browned on both sides. Remove from skillet.
  2. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper to the skillet and saute until the onion is slightly browned. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the tomatoes, oregano and wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over medium low heat.
  3. Add the potatoes, beans, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 20 more minutes until potatoes are soft.