We have been going through a lot of chicken lately and frankly, baked
and fried is getting boring. So I though of braising.

So...I went to the "Way Back Machine" and found this first published
in 1948, my birth year.



Chicken Cacciatore Gourmet | January 2006; originally published 1948

It's been decades since this dish was considered ethnic. Now we just
think of it as down-home American food of the best kind. The moist,
tender meat takes on a deep tomatoey flavor that suggests it's been
slowly cooking for days rather than for less than 2 hours.

6 servings

4 lb chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
1 3/4 teaspoons table salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

Accompaniment: cooked white rice or buttered noodles
preparation

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle on all sides with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
and pepper. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately
high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken in 2 batches,
turning over once, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a
plate.

Reduce heat to moderate and add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to
skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any brown bits,
until onion and garlic are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine and
simmer, scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced by half, 1 to
2 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and simmer, breaking up
tomatoes with a wooden spoon, 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and nestle
chicken pieces in sauce.

Simmer, loosely covered with foil, until chicken is cooked through, 35
to 45 minutes. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. For a thicker
sauce, transfer cooked chicken to a platter and keep warm, covered,
then boil sauce until it reaches desired consistency.

Epicurious.com © CondéNet, Inc. All rights reserved.