Deep Flavors, Not a lot of Time

Chicken Cacciatore


Ingredients:

1 4-lb chicken, cut in pieces (I used breasts because that's all I had. I liked the way they turned out although I'm sure the chicken pieces would add more flavor.)
3-4 Tlb flour
2 Tlb olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 6-ounch can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 14-ounce can chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp sweet marjoram
1 8-ounce package sliced fresh mushrooms (about 2 cups)


Directions:

1. Dredge chicken with flour until well-coated. In a large deep frying pan or pot, heat the olive oil and saute chicken over high heat until golden brown. Add the shallots and garlic while the chicken is browning, and cook until golden. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer the chicken, covered, about 1 hour or until tender. Serve over pasta, rice or new potatoes.

This had a really lovely deep flavor to it for not a lot of cooking time. The chicken was super tender and the sauce was a perfect consistency. I garnished mine with some chopped Italian parsley which gave it some nice color and added flavor. This meal is so simple it works great for a weeknight Italian dinner, but impressive enough to serve for any special occasion.