I've had chicken cacciatore a few times, and I was never overly impressed by it. Still, it's a homey recipe, and one that can be quite satisfying. This recipe did satisfy me, but it wasn't particularly great. The flavors were very mild. The addition of mushrooms is very Calabrian, and I think they went very well with the dish. I didn't peel the tomatoes, as that's a lot of work, I'm not sure how much of a difference that made. I also skipped the pepper, as I was serving the dish to my children, and that probably did make a difference.

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Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 4-5 lb roasting chicken, cut in pieces
• salt and hot pepper to taste.
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. celery, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch rosemary
• 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms

Instructions

In a heavy pan, heat the olive oil, and brown all pieces of the chicken on all sides. Salt and pepper the chicken. Add the onion, the green pepper, the celery, the garlic and the rosemary. Cook until the vegetables start to brown. Add the tomatoes and the parsley. Add the wine and mix well. Cover the pan and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, until the chicken is almost tender. Add water or wine if necessary. Add the mushrooms and cook for 15 minutes more.

Adapted from a recipe at Our Calabrian Heritage