Whigged out Chicken Cacciatore

Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike will vote for this one!

Chicken Cacciatore is a quintessential winter dish – even good this winter year, when it’s so warm (at least on the east coast). The flavor is very earthy.

For the dish:

10 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced

3 T olive oil

1 medium chicken cut into pieces, skin removed

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 c dry white wine

1-2 cloves (depending on clove size and taste) garlic, minced

1 T tomato paste (my favorite is getting tomato paste in the tube, easy to measure and easy to save the remainder)

1 large can whole peeled tomatoes include any liquid in the can

1/2 t allspice

1/2 t thyme

freshly ground pepper and salt, to taste

2 bay leaves

For the Garnish:

grated rind of 1 lemon

1/2 clove of garlic, minced

3 T fresh parsley, minced

In a large stockpot (perfect if you have a Le Creuset) heat the oil on medium-high. Cook the chicken on all sides till lightly browned. Add the onion and let it cook a minute or so, then add in the wine. Once the wine boils up, lower the heat, add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, the mushrooms and the seasonings (remember you can always add more salt and pepper at the end, but you can’t remove them if you’ve added too much).

Cover the pot and cook slowly  on medium-low for about 4o minutes. REMOVE THE BAY LEAVES. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary. Scatter the mixed garnish on top before serving.

This dish gets better with age, it also freezes well. I like to serve it with ziti but it’s also great with rice or potato.