Hunter’s Chicken Stew (Pollo Alla Cacciatora)
Recipe Notes Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Jamie’s Italy
Ingredients
6 to 8 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced and separated (2 cloves for the marinade, the balance for the sauce)
½ bottle fruity red wine
4 pounds chicken pieces
1 cup flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 anchovy filets
1 cup pitted green or black olives
1 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes in juice
Directions
Combine the bay leaves, rosemary, 2 cloves worth of the minced garlic, and the wine in a large bowl. Add the chicken, cover, and set in the fridge to marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place the flour in a large bowl, mixing in least two tablespoons of salt and fresh ground pepper. Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade); pat the chicken dry and dredge it in the seasoned four, shaking off the excess.
Set a large, high-sided, lidded, ovenproof skillet (or other large pan big enough to hold all the ingredients) on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and quickly brown the chicken pieces, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Turn the heat down to medium, and in the same skillet, sauté the remaining garlic, stirring until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the anchovies, olives, tomatoes (break these up with a wooden spoon), and chicken pieces. Add the reserved marinade. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil on stovetop, then cover the skillet and place it in the oven for 1½ hours.
Stir carefully, pulling out the rosemary and bay leaves as they surface. We serve this over wide egg noodles in a shallow bowl with all that beautiful sauce.