Rustic Chicken Cacciatore
Serves: 6 Prep: 20 min Cook: 1hr
This Chicken Cacciatore is Italian comfort food at its finest! With juicy chicken drumsticks and thighs simmered in a fragrant sauce of tomatoes, wine, and Port Lincoln Sardine Garum, it’s a dish brimming with rich and rustic flavours. Perfect for sharing around the table, this cacciatore comes together with tender vegetables, fresh rosemary, and a hint of balsamic sweetness. Serve with crusty bread to soak up every last drop of that luscious sauce.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
6 chicken drumsticks, trimmed of excess fat, skin on
6 chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, skin on
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
125g button mushrooms, sliced
100ml dry white wine
2 x 400g cans tinned tomatoes
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Port Lincoln Sardine Garum
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
150ml unsalted chicken stock
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Recipe Method:
Brown the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add the chicken drumsticks and thighs, cooking until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Sauté the vegetables: Add the onion, celery, and carrot (mirepoix) to the dish. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes until the onion softens. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms, cooking for an additional minute.
Deglaze with wine: Return the chicken pieces to the pan, pour in the white wine, and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Build the sauce: Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, rosemary, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Stir in the Port Lincoln Sardine Garum and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finish with olives: Add the olives and cook for another 10 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Reduce the sauce: Transfer the chicken to a platter. Increase the heat to high and reduce the sauce for 5-6 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh parsley.