I Had to Get That Recipe!

By Deb Jenkins
Staff Writer

My drug of choice is FOOD; otherwise I would not be writing about it every week, that’s for sure. Writing is my rehab, I guess.

Well, last month at dinner club I became obsessed with having to have the recipe for Bob Waters Chicken Cacciatore. He had done it again; made me have a sleepless night of drooling and visions of pasta ALL NIGHT! I had to get that recipe!

So, in true Waters fashion he said, “Sure, but you have to come over and learn how to make it (YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TELL ME THAT TWICE, I am there!), none of this writing it down or emailing me the recipe. Of course I had to wait a month because for some reason, his going on vacation to Hawaii, Arizona, and New Mexico was more important than my taste buds, sad but true. But, enough of the whining about it, I have the recipe, I learned how to make it and I am going to share it with all of you.

This was one of the best Easter meals I have had. Not only did I learn how to make it, but it was fast and easy. Bob does not use measurements so the recipe below is the best I could do for you. But if you follow what I have written you will be fine.

Before I get to the recipe I have to tell you too that what makes a good tasty meal is not always the ingredients; it is the love of doing it and how you do it that really puts that extra taste in the meal. SO before we started, Bob said to me, “Okay, this is what I have planned for the mood of our cooking, we are going to start off with Billie Holiday and work our way directly into Keb Mo, the wine is ready for us and we are going to cook our food nice and slow—there is no rush.”

Now in my book, that is a person who understands the thrill and excitement of cooking. By the way, we listened to Tim Sparks (from Frazee) too, before the cooking even started. I am sure Bob has no idea that in my book that was also perfect. Tim, although I have not had his food to eat, is a great chef, and his music put me right into the space I needed to be in.

All right, I have to stop talking and get to the recipe for you.

Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. In cuisine, “alla cacciatora” refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style” with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, often bell pepper, and sometimes wine. Cacciatore is popularly made with braised chicken (pollo alla cacciatora) or rabbit. Salamino Cacciatore is small salami, popular in Italy.

Chicken Cacciatore

Use skinless chicken breasts to serve six or eight people.

Cook it slowly to get the onion flavor. In a large pan, that you can cover, place ¾ cup olive oil, 4 tablespoons garlic minced over a low flame (So it is not over cooked & gets mushy)

Cut chicken breast in half (boneless and skinless), place into the pan with the olive oil and garlic, add the following: two medium or one very large onion that has been sliced in strips, 1/8 cup oregano, fresh ground black pepper, kosher table salt to taste, cover turning at least three to four times until done, about 30-40 minutes, until flavors infuse.

Add the following after the chicken has cooked through: One sliced green pepper, 8 oz fresh mushrooms sliced, one 6 oz can tomato paste, 16 oz whole tomatoes (crush them a little or use a can of crushed instead), three 4 oz Olives, one tbsp fennel seed. Cook for another 30-40 minutes on the low temperature (We never turned up the heat, EVER) then serve with your favorite pasta.

Some of you may want to marinate your meat, which by the way does not always have to be chicken. Remember Cacciatore means “hunter.” So other meats or even no meat would work. Bob told me that he prefers using the skin on chicken because he gets just a little more flavor out of it. But it is not necessary. Here is his marinade recipe for chicken and pork. In the past he would marinate the meat. Actually the first time he made this for me the meat was marinated. To be honest, for this dish I say skip that step. It has lots of flavor on its own.

Marinade (can be frozen) for chicken and pork: 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, dried basil, honey, one oz. red wine.

Well, enjoy this recipe and let me know what you think. More Italian talk next week, and a wonderful recipe that surprised me that I could make it.

Until next week eat well and stay safe. Any question or concerns email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)