Chicken Cacciatore

I love free-range chicken. You CAN taste the difference as well as it being a better method of raising animals. I made this in the early afternoon, cooked through the 40 minutes, then put it in a 50C oven to just keep it warm for the next 2 hours. The effect on the chicken was unbelievable. It simply fell off the bone and was moist and spectacular. Healthy, too!

2-½ pounds chicken, thighs and drumsticks, skinned
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, large, diced
2 garlic, peeled and minced
1 large portabello mushroom, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons tomato puree, (US=tomato paste)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
¾ cup white wine
1 can chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves only, chopped
2 sprigs oregano, leaves only, chopped
salt and pepper

Skin the chicken, then rinse the pieces and pat dry. Season well with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When just starting to smoke, add the chicken pieces in a single layer and fry off until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Do this in batches if your pot isn't big enough. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Drain off all but about a tablespoon of fat from the pan.

Return the pan to the stove and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic together and saute for 3 or 4 minutes until they start to go soft. Add the mushroom pieces and continue to saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to cook down some.

Add the tomato puree and red pepper flakes and stir through completely, cooking until the veggies start to smell a little sweet and the puree has darkened a bit, about a minute. Turn the heat up to medium-high and pour in the wine. As the wine starts to bubble, scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by about half, 3-5 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes. Mix the herbs together in a small bowl and take a big pinch out of there and add it to the pot and stir through, allowing it to come to a boil. (Keep the herb bowl handy as you check the seasoning later on, add more if you find the herby-ness lacking).

Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken pieces and any juices left behind in the bowl you left them in. Spoon over some sauce then cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is tender and done. Serve hot.