I’m Italian therefore I cannot keep calm…
Pot Luck time over at the cooking club and I was inspired by several of our guest chefs and their cacciatore recipes for one night this week, well, as usual, the menu plan went out the window a few times, but I kept a quick mid-week cacciatore dinner in mind with several cooking options, oven, stove-top or grill.
Will the heatwave end? What another week of hot and humid weather?
I’m not waiting for fall and winter dishes, I’m starting now with oven or grill seasonal dishes…
Well, I thought that I would start by marinating whole chicken parts in a nice wine and olive oil marinade for several hours, I had an open bottle of Rosé and a little Pinot Grigio and just tossed both into the rest of the ingredients. Nothing magical about the ingredients, just what was available, a sprig of rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 2 smashed cloves of garlic, salt, pepper wine, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a few basil leaves.
Toss the chicken parts into a zip bag, add the marinade and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Drain and pat dry before sautéing the chicken.
1 whole chicken cut into 10 pieces, cut the breasts in half, marinate for 4 or more hours
3 tablespoons schmaltz (chicken) or 3 tablespoons olive oil
a rib or two of diced celery
2 carrots, finely diced
2 medium-sized shallots, diced
6-8 small Campari tomatoes, large dice
about one cup of homemade marinara sauce
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons anchovy paste or three anchovies
3 fresh bay leaves
1/2 – 3/4 cup white, red or Rosé wine
Pitted Kalamata olives, halved as many as you want, but 1/2 cup is enough for me
Garnish 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Serve over polenta or Anson Mills Antebellum slow cooker grits…for the grits, I finish with two tablespoons butter and about 2-3 tablespoons butter, and a dash of cream or mascarpone cheese.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add schmaltz or olive oil
Pat dry the marinated chicken and sauté in the hot schmaltz or olive oil, turning for even golden color about 5 minutes. Reserve on a platter until time to add it back into the sauce.
Add anchovy paste or anchovies and garlic to the hot pan, break up the anchovy, and saute until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovy is melted. Add the diced shallots, carrots, and celery, and saute until tender and just beginning to turn golden. Add wine and stir well to burn off alcohol for about 2 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes along and olives, stir. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet, making sure they are just covered by the tomatoes, flipping to coat with the sauce. Cover with a lid and simmer on low for 25-30 minutes or consider finishing on the grill.
Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve over polenta or grits.
Oh yes, cheese, please!
Put on your smiley face, serve with a good wine crusty bread and a salad…Enjoy
Cucina Magia 
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