Chicken alla Cacciatora
1 8-piece chicken, rinsed
½ cup olive oil
1 cup white wine
2 cups yellow onion, diced
4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick rounds
3 garlic cloves, diced
2 cups button mushrooms, whole (small size)
2 bell peppers (red and yellow) cut into 1-inch squares
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, pureed
32-oz. beef broth (chicken or vegetable broth good, too)
1 cup Marsala wine
½ cup kalamata olives, cut into round slices
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
For dredging:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil flakes
Directions:
Rinse the chicken under cold water before handling. Mix all of the dredging ingredients together in a baking dish and dredge the clean chicken pieces in the mixture until evenly coated on all sides.
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch over medium-high heat; add chicken pieces and sauté until golden brown on all sides, about 4 to 6 minutes, being careful not to blacken or burn the chicken. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.
Remove pot from burner and add white wine. Return pot to stovetop and cook over medium heat to deglaze the pot, stirring often to break up the browned bits until the liquid has reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and bell peppers and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened.
Add tomato puree, beef broth and Marsala wine and bring mixture to a slight boil. Add the chicken pieces and cook at a gentle simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until the liquid appears to have thickened slightly. After 15 minutes, taste to check if Marsala wine flavor is present. If not, add more, a half-cup at a time.
Once the sauce has thickened, add kalamata olives and capers, stir and taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle the freshly chopped parsley over the dish just before serving.
Serve over long pasta noodles or whipped potatoes.