Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

• 800g chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, peeled and diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 1 red capsicum, sliced
• 150g button mushrooms, sliced
• 125ml red wine
• 400g can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomatoe paste
• 250ml chicken stock
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• ½ cup kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp finely shredded parsley, to serve
• sourdough bread or polenta, to serve

Directions

1. Dust the chicken with flour and shake off any excess.
2. Heat a wide, lidded casserole over medium heat and add the oil. Brown the chicken in batches, removing from the dish when browned.
3. Add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic, season with a little salt and cook for about 8 minutes using any juices from the vegetables to scrape up any brown fond on the base of the pan.
4. Add the capsicum and mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until softened. Add the wine and bring to a simmer for about a minute, then add the tomatoes and crush them a little. Add the stock, tomatoe paste, rosemary and season well with salt and black pepper.
5. Return the chicken to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Stir through the olives and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes uncovered, until the sauce is thick and coating the chicken.
7. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before grinding over a little more black pepper and serving scattered with parsley. Serve with thick slices of sourdough or polenta.