This one-pot dish is full of Mediterranean flavours and reminiscent of summer sun. A tasty treat for mid-week and freezes well too.
Wine suggestion: try a glass of a good, dry Provençal Rosé. We had one made by Chateau Vignelaure which matched the sunny nature of this dish perfectly.
Chicken, red pepper & olive cacciatore – serves 6
- 6 chicken thighs
- 6 drumsticks
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 x 400g tin tomatoes
- 2 red peppers, seeded and sliced
- 2 sprigs of rosemary, needles chopped
- 300ml red wine
- 120g pitted black olives, halved
- a large handful of basil leaves
Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
Season the chicken pieces well with salt & pepper. Heat a splash of oil in a large shallow casserole and fry the chicken until the skin is golden brown. This should take about 10 minutes and is easier to do in a few batches. Remove the chicken onto a plate.
Pour most of the fat off the pan, then add the onions and garlic and fry for over a low heat for about 8 minutes or until very soft.
Add the tomatoes, peppers and rosemary and simmer for another 10 minutes, breaking the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is rich and thick.
Stir the olives into the sauce and nestle the chicken pieces back into the pan. If your pan is too small to take the chicken in a single layer you can transfer everything to a baking dish at this point. Cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and comes away easily from the bone.
(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, July 2016.)
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