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Sunday, November 1, 2009

Chicken Cacciatore 2 ways

I always thought Chicken Cacciatore needed sauce. Not this (first) one! The second is more like what most people think.
The other one I found and tried that has good rating (9/10) is from Emeril Lagasse. It is blander then the first but still quite good.

The first dish I tried made roasted tomato sauce. I combined it with this recipe and it is amazing.My rating
9.9/10


This is one amazing dish!
Buy the book at Amazon.com low price. “ On Top of Spaghetti” and try the restaurant. Many different, out of the ordinary and superb recipes.
Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com)
Olathe, KS
Kansas City Traveling Gourmet blog
<http://cpmputergourmet.blogspot.com/>

let me know what you think!

Spaghetti and Summer Chicken Cacciatore
adapted from On Top of Spaghetti by Johanne Killen and George Germon (P.147-8) Al Forno

8 medium ripe tomatoes
8 chicken thighs (my option: or use 2-4 chicken breasts)
2 tblspn olive oil
2 oz pancetta (option I skipped this)
4 cups chopped yellow onions
3 cups chopped celery with leaves
1 jalapeno pepper finely minced
1/8 tspn red pepper flakes ( more if you want more heat)
1 or 2 tspn sea salt ( I used kosher salt)
1 sprig fresh rosemary (I used powder dried 1 tspn)
2 fresh bay leaves or 1 1 dried bay leave
1/4 cup coursely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb spaghetti
4 tbls butter or margarine
2 cups mushrooms (optional
parmesan cheese ( I left this out)

(1) Boil water and and drop tomatoes into it for 30 seconds.
(2) Remove tomato to cutting board , cut in half and the take off the skin.
(3) scoop out pulp and strain the seeds out and discard them leaving pulp and juice.

option: I actually did not do this . I used one of their other recipes to roast the tomatoes for in oven after cutting them (I use halves cherry tomatoes in stead of big tomatoes). Roast for 20 minutes at 400 f. I then blended them until smooth.

(4) Heat olive oil in dutch oven (caste iron skillet) Add the chicken and saute brown over high heat. Turn and keep browning Transfer chicken to plate.

(5) (Optional) Cook Pancetta if desired until browned then set aside

(6) Stir the onions, celery, jalapeno, pepper flakes, 1/2 the salt, rosemary, bay leaves and parsely.

(7) add the pancetta if desired. Lower heat.

(8) Stir the mixture and scrap the browning bits from the chicken etc and keep stirring for 10 minutes. \

(9) add wine , raise the heat and cook unti the wine is evaporated.

(10) Return the chicken and juices that have collected on the plate into the dutch oven with the vegetables.

(11) Add those tomatoes and juices cover the oven/pot, Lower heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes.

(12) During last few minutes test and add more salt if needed.

(13) Remove bay leaf and rosemary spring (if fresh used) .

(14 ) Keep warm on low heat.

(15) Use butter and add with mushrooms and cooked.

(16) Cook spaghetti Al dente drain expect leaf a small amount of water in a cup (1/2 cup). This extra cooked water can be used to freshen the spaghetti if needed and unloosen strands of spahghetti that stick.

(17) Toss and combine the mushrooms to the vegetables mixture and chicken on to a plate.

(18) optional - add parmesan cheese.

(19) Left over vegetable sauce and spagehetti for leftovers, lunch dinner or snack. Great too!!

***

Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Show: Emeril Live:
Ingredients

* 1 whole chicken, about 5 to 6 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
* 1 cup flour
* Creole seasoning, recipe follows
* 1 cup olive oil
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions
* Salt
* Crushed red pepper
* 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and sliced
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded
* 1 cup tomato sauce
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 1 bay leaf
* 4 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1/4 cup chiffonade basil
* 1/2 pound cooked fettuccine or spaghetti (tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper)
* 4 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Season the chicken with Creole seasoning. Season the flour with Creole seasoning. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, coating completely and shaking off the excess. In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the onions.
Season with salt and red pepper.
Saute for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic.
Season with salt and red pepper.
Continue to saute for 2 minutes.
Stir in the wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and basil.
Add the chicken back to the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Mound the pasta in the center of each plate. Lay the chicken over the pasta.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Garnish with cheese and parsley.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

* 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

**
I come from Providence, RI. A famous restaurant Al Forno is located close to the downtown area near my brother's furniture store. The husband and wife team, both from the Rhode Island School of Design, (they have been on Emeril Lagassi's show) inspired the wood fired pizza craze and made it popular. But they also have many other spectacular Italian inspired dishes.

I have been to Al Forno once but thought I could find some other recipes to try in a cookbook. Their fires book " Cucino Simpatica" has won rave reviews. Now their second one "On Top of Spaghetti" is out and after reading the reviews, I bought my first Italian cookbook after many years.

What I like about this book has recipes which are unusual, different that take Italian recipes to a different level. Also the introduction to each recipes that tells about how each recipe came to fruition.

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