Mary Berry Chicken Cacciatore Food

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Lightly coat a large slow cooker with nonstick spray. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken in a single layer. Cook on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes, until browned, moving the chicken as little as possible so that it gets a nice sear. Flip and brown on the other side, about 2 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
• Reduce the skillet heat to medium. With a paper towel, carefully wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. One the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant and the vinegar has reduced. Transfer to the slow cooker, along with any pan drippings.
• Top the chicken with the tomatoes, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning. If using chicken breasts: cover and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or LOW for 4 to 5 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. If using chicken thighs: cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on HIGH or 5 to 6 hours on LOW. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker as soon as it reaches 165 degrees F. If desired, chop or shred the chicken (or you can serve the pieces whole).
• At this point, you can serve the sauce right away if you are in a hurry, BUT, if time allows, this is what I like to do for the best-ever sauce: Uncover the slow cooker and let cook on HIGH for 1 hour to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavor to further develop. Just before serving, stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Taste and season the sauce with additional salt/pepper as desired. If you've chopped or shredded the chicken, return it to the sauce and toss to combine and warm through. Otherwise, serve the chicken pieces whole with a generous amount of the sauce on top. Serve hot over pasta, rice, polenta, or veggie noodles, with a big extra spoonful of sauce and a sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan.

THE BEST CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook the chicken until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate or baking sheet.
• Discard the oil. Put the pot over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a small plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the carrots, celery and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by about two-thirds, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and reserved pancetta. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Reduce the heat to low and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the chicken skin-side up to the sauce, cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
• If necessary, skim off any fat from the surface of the sauce with a large spoon or ladle and discard. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and top with more parsley.

CHICKEN ARRABBIATA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large heavybased pan. Add the onions and whole garlic cloves. Fry, stirring frequently, for 10 mins, adding the chillies for the final min.
• Pour in the wine, turn up the heat and allow it to bubble for 1 min to cook off the alcohol. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, tomato purée and thyme with some seasoning. Add the chicken legs, pushing them under the liquid, then part-cover the pan and leave to simmer gently for 45 mins.
• Remove the lid and cook for a further 15 mins until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced a little. Serve scattered with parsley, if you like, and pasta or mash.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE ONE-POT WITH ORZO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Rub 1 tbsp oil over the chicken and season well, then put skin-side up in an ovenproof casserole dish or roasting tin and bake for 20-25 mins until crisp and golden, but not cooked all the way though. Remove from the dish and put on a plate.
• Add the remaining oil to the dish, mixing it with the chicken fat. Tip in the onion and garlic, then bake for 5-8 mins until the onion is tender.
• Pour in the wine, stirring it with the onions, then leave to evaporate slightly in the residual heat before adding the bay, thyme, rosemary, parsley stalks and tomatoes. Dissolve the stock cube in 300ml boiling water and pour this in, then add the vinegar, capers, if using, olives and orzo. Stir well and season.
• Nestle the chicken back in the pan, skin-side up, and roast for 20 mins until the sauce is thickened, the orzo is tender and the meat is cooked through. Give it a stir, then leave for 10 mins for the orzo to absorb the excess liquid. Scatter over the parsley leaves to serve.