Chicken alla Cacciatora
Alla Cacciatora means “hunter style”. It is often assumed this dish must contain mushrooms, just as dishes labeled chasseur (“hunter” in French) contains mushrooms. In fact, many traditional Italian recipes contain no mushrooms. There are many variations on this dish, and almost the only ingredients they have in common are onions, tomatoes, and usually wine and one or more other vegetables.

Portions: 12
Portion Size: 8-10 oz. Chicken, 3 fl. oz. Sauce
Per Serving: Calories 560, Protein 45 grams, Fat 31 grams (49% cal.), Cholesterol 135 milligrams, Carbohydrates 25 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Sodium 930 milligrams.

Ingredients:
8 lbs. Frying chickens, whole or cut up
8 oz. Flour
1 tbsp. Salt
¾ tsp. Pepper
4 fl. oz. Oil
10 oz. Onion, sliced thin
6 oz. Green pepper, cut into bâtonnet
2 ½ oz. Celery, cut into bâtonnet
2 ½ oz. Carrot, cut brunoise
1 tbsp. Garlic, chopped fine
4 fl. oz. White wine
2 ½ lbs. Tomatoes, canned, crushed, with their juice
4 oz. Tomato paste
1 Bay leaf
¼ tsp. Dried basil

Procedure:
1. If starting with whole chickens, cut the chickens into eights as shown in “cutting chicken into quarters and eights” photos.
2. Place the flour in a pan and season with salt and pepper.
3. Dredge the chicken with the seasoned flour. Shake off excess.
4. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the chicken pieces and brown well over high heat.
5. As the chicken pieces are browned, remove them from the sauté pan and place in a brazier, continuing to brown the remaining pieces.
6. Pour off some of the oil form the sauté pan, leaving 2-3 fl. oz. in the pan.
7. Add the onion, green pepper, celery, carrot, and garlic to the pan. Sweat over low heat until nearly tender.
8. Add the wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, and herbs. Bring to a boil. Simmer about 5 minutes.
9. Pour the sauce over the chickens. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan and finish cooking in a 300°F oven or over low heat on the stove. Cooking will take 30-45 minutes.
10. When the chicken is tender, remove it from the sauce and place in a hotel pan.
11. Degrease the sauce. Reduce over high heat until thickened to desired consistency. Adjust the seasonings. Pour over the chicken.

Variations:
Sauté 12 oz. mushrooms with the onions and peppers, Omit the carrot and celery.

Recipe retrieved from:
Gisslen, Wayne. 2011. Professional Cooking. 7thEdition.Cooking Poultry and Game Birds: Chicken all Cacciatora. Pg. 431

Cutting photos retrieved from:
Gisslen, Wayne. 2011. Professional Cooking. 7thEdition. Understanding Poultry and Game Birds:Cutting chicken into quarters and eights. Pg. 381

Photo retrieved from: