Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Mah Favorite Chicken Cacciatore

Mah Favorite Chicken Cacciatore
From: SmartAleq

Take some boneless, skinless chicken--I prefer thighs but breast works just as well, cut into strips--about half an inch thick or so. Dredge in flour spiced with garlic salt and pepper. Heat a deep iron skillet, add oil (olive is best, of course!) and brown the chicken--don't crowd the pan too much. Remove when browned, pour off any excessive amounts of oil but leave the brown crunchy bits.

Turn the heat up a bit and add a large amount of diced onions, garlic and red bell pepper (or green, but I prefer red, milder taste and better look) and saute briskly, stirring to get all the chicken residue off the skillet. Let this get nicely done, not quite caramelized but well on the way. Add a large quantity of diced tomatoes--roma is best, and cook them down a bit, adding a couple tablespoons of sugar while they're cooking down. At this point is a great time to add some fresh basil if you have it (if not, I guess dried will do. Sigh. Heathens,) some crushed red pepper and fresh oregano. Chopped mushrooms are very nice as well--crimini's by preference. Then add enough Cheap Red Wine to cover the veggies, bring to a boil and add the chicken back in. Lower heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes, a couple hours is better. If the sauce gets too thick and gloppy, add more wine as needed to keep it nice and smooth. Salt to taste. Serve over rice. Don't forget the garlic bread and salad!

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