“Winter was cold and the clothing was thin.”*
A day off and a snowy one at that. A day that’s perfect for
low and slow.
It’s a return to normal. Well, almost.
The long silence on my part was due to the demands of the
holiday season, which for me means longer days with few days off as we make our
way through the upswing in business at the restaurant where I work.
It is a crazy business. We’re working when others are
readying for holidays. It leaves little time for other things. You have to love this life.
But then this chaos is, as the Buddha said, only
transitory.
You have to love what you do.
So as I return to a normal schedule, my red haired food
co-pilot enters her brief, chaotic time.
But hers, too, is transitory.
I need dinners that youngest daughter and I can have
together and will only need reheating when my wife returns home late. I have
some short ribs cooking in the oven and a pot of chicken done “hunter-style”
on top of the stove.
Italians would call this “cacciatore.” The French would call
it “chasseur.” Both refer to “hunter” and it was, allegedly, a style of cooking common to
hunters (or their wives) although I doubt that hunters ever went after
chickens, unless of course they had no luck in the field. Both versions share a
similarity of ingredients.
I used a 5 pound whole chicken that I cut into pieces.
Lacking butchering skills, you can buy a cut up chicken or use whatever parts
you like (all thighs or all legs or all breasts). Leave the bones in the
chicken; you will be able to remove them after the chicken is finished
cooking. The object is to slowly
braise the chicken until the meat falls off the bone when it’s done.
This can be cooked on top of the stove or in a low (275
degree) oven.
Some recipes call for dusting the chicken lightly with flour
before browning it. This one doesn't. It's your choice.
Chicken "Hunter Style"
This recipe makes about 6 servings
One 5 pound whole chicken ( or equivalent parts of your choosing)
2 cups sliced onion
1 red bell pepper, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 to 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
8 ounces Crimini mushrooms, halved or quartered lengthwise,
depending on their size
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
One 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes, crushed (you can use
canned crushed tomatoes)
2 to 3 bay leaves
8 to 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 to 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, added right before serving
olive oil, for cooking
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup red or white wine
1. If you are going to use the oven, heat oven to 275. Place
a 4-quart Dutch oven (or similar oven-proof pot) on the stove over high heat.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and ground
black pepper. Swirl 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil into the pot. Lay the chicken
into the pot to brown; depending on the size of your pot you may have to cook
the chicken in batches. Turn the chicken until it has browned on all sides then remove the chicken to a plate.
2. When all of the chicken has been browned, remove the pot
from the heat to cool slightly before adding the vegetables. Pour out some of
the oil from the pot, reserving it to use as you cook. Place the pot back over
medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers to the pot; if the vegetables
appear dry, add some of the oil back into the pot. Stir and let the vegetables
cook to soften. Scrape and loosen any browned bits that may have collected on
the bottom of the pan. After about 5 minutes when the onions and peppers have
softened, add the mushrooms and season with some salt and ground black pepper.
Stir together and continue cooking until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the
tomato paste and stir it into the vegetables; let the tomato paste brown for a
minute or so.. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with a piece of string and
add it to the pot along with the bay leaves. Add the crushed tomatoes and wine;
stir everything together. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the
alcohol to cook off. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, nestling them in the
vegetables. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat. Place the
pot either into the oven and or continue to cook it top of the stove at a
gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken is falling off the bones, about an hour
or so. Stir in the shredded basil before serving. Taste and adjust the
seasoning. You can remove the skin and bones if you desire.
As for any leftovers, store them covered in the
refrigerator. Remove the chicken from the bones, shred it, and reheat it in the
sauce. Mix it with your favorite pasta.
*"A Very Cellular Song," by the Incredible String Band. Lyrics by Mike Heron.
I remember quite well, I remember quite well.
I remember quite well, I remember quite well.
