Betty’s Chicken Cacciatore

I forget from where in the internet I found this recipe, but it is so delicious.

Ingredients:
14 fresh button mushrooms
2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil
7-8 chicken thighs
3/4 cup flour
sea salt
pepper
Herbes de provence
1 tbsp margarine or butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large can (796 ml/28 oz) chopped tomatoes
1 can (398 ml/14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup red wine (we used a mini bottle of French Cross Dry Red Wine)
2 tbsp parsley
A sprinkle of oregano or marjoram
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
A few fresh basil leaves torn up by hand
A handful of cherry tomatoes

Instructions:

Roast the mushrooms. Place them caps down on a non-stick baking pan.
Sprinkle them with 2 tbsp olive oil, pepper and sea salt and bake at
375° F for 20 minutes.

While the mushrooms are baking, roll the chicken thighs in a mix of
flour with salt, pepper & oregano. Brown them in margarine or butter
to seal in the juices.

Chicken browning crop

As the chicken is browning, sprinkle with Herbes de Provence. Take the
meat out when browned, and stir the chopped onion in the meat
drippings with 2 tsp of olive oil. Fry them for 4-5 minutes, until
they are soft and clear, then stir in the chopped garlic and cook for
1 minute. The garlic gets a shorter time as you don’t want it browned.

Add the wine to the onions & garlic and stir making sure to stir up
the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then add the can of chopped
tomatoes followed by the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the
temperature and cook for 10 minutes.

Onion-wine sauce

Return the chicken to the wine-tomato sauce adding the parsley and the
oregano or marjoram and the mushrooms. A few of the basil leaves can
be added at this time too. Bring the entire mix to a boil then reduce
to a simmer and let cook for 20 – 25 minutes until the chicken is
tender. If all goes well, it will be beautifully tender.

Simmering pot

After transferring the cacciatore to a serving bowl, place cherry
tomatoes loosely and sprinkle the basil leaf pieces on top.

We served it on pasta sprinkled with fresh parmesan,
but it works well on rice or on a bed of fresh spinach leaves.

Note: This recipe can be prepared a little healthier by substituting
chicken breasts for the thighs and baking the chicken instead of
frying it. Some may prefer substituting white wine (more
traditionally combined with chicken) instead of the red.