Chicken hunter s style
Instructions:
- In the old days, hunters spent every autumn
making sure they had enough game to feed
their families during the cold winter months.
This dish is reminiscent of the stews hunters
made with mushrooms they could gather in
the woods as well as the birds they shot.
Although they were originally made with
game birds, most versions these days use
chicken.
- 8 chicken legs with thighs attached
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 ounces guanciale, thinly sliced
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 whole garlic head, peeled to expose the cloves and then sliced
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Calabrian chiles or other small, hot chiles
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 roasted red bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 3 roasted yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup sliced cremini, shiitake, or other forest mushrooms
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups Pomodoro Sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper and then coat in flour. Shake off any excess flour.
- Set a roasting pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, put 1 cup of olive oil and the guanciale in the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the meat is translucent and the fat is rendered. Be careful not to burn the thin slices. Remove the guanciale from the pan and set aside.
- Put the chicken legs, skin side down, in the pan and cook, undisturbed, over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Turn and brown evenly on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the capers, basil, oregano, red pepper, chiles, and bay leaf. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits. Let the vinegar boil for about 3 minutes, or until it evaporates.
- Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook for about 6 minutes, or until reduced by half.
- Return the guanciale and chicken to the pan. Add the bell peppers and mushrooms and then pour the stock and Pomodoro Sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lay a sheet of parchment paper directly on the food and transfer the pan to the oven. Cook for about 1 hour, until the meat is fork tender.
- Remove the pan from the oven and discard the parchment paper. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes. Serve at this time or refrigerate and reheat just before serving. The braise will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days.
- To serve, put 2 chicken legs on each of 4 serving plates and spoon about ½ cup of sauce and vegetables over them. Garnish with the parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.