This meal came to me in a flash of inspiration. I was planning on making Chicken Cacciatore, which is hunter’s chicken. The idea behind hunter’s chicken is that men would be out hunting for poultry or rabbit, and they would make a stew out of whatever vegetables they found along the way. But then I started to think: As a woman how would I forage? My technique would be quite different. I would look for lots of fresh herbs, mushrooms, and I’d probably de-bone the chicken. Thus, Chicken Cacciatrice was born. Here is my recipe for Huntress Chicken, the feminine version of a classic dish.

Besides boneless skinless chicken thighs, my ingredients included shallot, garlic, mushroom, lots of fresh herbs (I used thyme, tarragon, parsley, and a bay leaf), chicken broth, tomato sauce, and vermouth.

I served Chicken Cacciatrice with mashed potatoes and peas. This recipe would also work well over egg noodles, pasta, or rice. But I thought the mashed potatoes worked perfectly.

This meal came out so amazingly delicious. I hope you try it!

Chicken Cacciatrice

Donna

The female version of Chicken Cacciatore.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Equipment

1 cast-iron braising pan (or any deep skillet that can go from stovetop to oven)

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup all-purpose flour for dusting
1 shallot finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
12-16 whole button mushrooms stems trimmed
2 ounces dry white vermouth
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs such as thyme, tarragon, parsley
1 bay leaf
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
Pinch cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Warm olive oil in braising pan over medium-high heat.
Tap the chicken thighs in flour to coat. Add to pan of hot oil. Cook for 3 minutes on each side. Don’t be tempted to turn them too soon. Brown the chicken thighs and remove.
Add shallot, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan. Stir to coat with chicken juices. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Uncover, carefully add vermouth, and deglaze the pan scraping up all the brown bits. Allow to cook for 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol.
Add the chicken broth and herbs. Bring to a boil and reduce for a few minutes.
Add tomato sauce and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Add the chicken back to the pan, being sure to coat each piece in the juices. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Cover and put in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking for another 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Serve with mashed potatoes and green vegetable of your choice. Garnish with parsley.