Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken in a succulent mushroom, onion and garlic tomato sauce perfect over linguine or with herbed pasta served on the side; either way with fine bread if you've a hefty appetite or you're a fan of small portions. Probably you couldn't guess the first is me, and the second my lovely wife. :) Recipe from an old "Italian Cooking Class Book" from who knows where - inherited recipe. Best served over or on the side of pasta, fresh linguine is traditional and to my mind best.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  fryer chicken, 3 . 5 lbs
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1  medium garlic clove, minced
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine, consider the taste though any will work
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1⁄2 cup chicken broth
• 1  teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1  can tomatoes, whole peeled
• 8  black olives
• 1  tablespoon parsley, chopped fresh

Directions

1. Rinse chicken, drain and pat dry. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken in a single layer without crowding. Cook turning once until chicken is brown, about 8 minutes. Repeat until all chicken is browned, removing the done pieces to a casserole or dutch oven.
2. Add mushrooms and onion to drippings in skillet. Saute over medioum heat unitl onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and 30 seconds or so later add the wine and vinegar; cook over medium heat until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, basil, marjoram, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Press tomatoes and their liquid through sieve into bowl; discard seeds. Stir sieved tomatoes into onion mixture in the skillet. Heat to boiling and keep on boiling uncovered 2 minutes.
4. Pour sauce over chicken. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer covered until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes. Remove chicken to serve dish, keep warm.
5. Heat sauce to boiling; boil uncovered on - you guessed it - medium high heat 5 minutes. Add olives and parsley to sauce; cook 1 minute longer and pour over chicken to serve.
6. That's the recipe, I generally double the sauce as it freezes beautifully and is great over a boneless chicken breast with a quick pasta or bread side for an outstanding weekday meal ready in 45 minutes or less from the freezer. Personal taste: I also generally thicken the sauce at the end using fresh tomato paste and adjusting seasonings if needed.