Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora)

Cacciatore translates in Italian to "in the style of the hunter". When the hunt was over for the day, men would gather wild mushrooms, onions and herbs from the forest to stew with their catch for dinner. In those times it would have been more likely to find cacciatoras made with rabbit, but the substitution of chicken for rabbit is a delicious adaptation in this robust, hunter-style dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of chicken thighs, bone-in
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 cups peeled and chopped, firm ripe tomatoes or 16 oz. of canned, stewed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and halved
• 2 Tbsp of fresh, chopped oregano or 2 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Push the onions to the side and add garlic and chicken thighs, skin-side down. Cook until the chicken skin is golden brown and somewhat crispy, then turn pieces over and brown the other side.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, oregano and bay leaf. Lower the heat and cover the skillet with the lid slightly ajar.
3. Cook the chicken in the simmering liquid, turning and basting from time to time. Cook until the thighs are very tender and the meat is almost falling off the bones, about 40 minutes. If the stew ever starts to dry out, add a couple tablespoons of water.