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Chicken cacciatore with olives

Our spin on the traditional Italian dish that's vibrant, hearty and primed for midweek dinners.

Oct 16, 2023 3:00am
  • 10 mins preparation
  • 1 hr cooking
  • Serves 6
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Chicken cacciatore is a well-loved Italian dish that has evolved over the years. With 'cacciatore' translating to hunter in Italian, this dish was first eaten by hunters and made with their catch —fowl (chicken), rabbit and other game meat.
Today, chicken cacciatore still has the same improvisational spirit; in regions around Italy, there are as many variations as there are cooks. But a cacciatore recipe usually includes wine (often white, sometimes red), tomatoes, garlic, onion, herbs and vegetables.
In our favourite Italian chicken cacciatore recipe, we've added mild salami slices and olives, and swapped onion for leek. Plus, we've ditched the usual tomato paste for three types of tomato: basil sugo, baby heirloom tomatoes and a can of whole cherry tomatoes. The result: a hearty, tomato-rich and vibrant cacciatore that is primed for midweek dinners.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 chicken thigh cutlets (175gm each)
  • 300 gm mild salami, sliced
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced
  • 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 350 ml dry white wine
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano
  • 250 gm mixed baby heirloom tomatoes
  • 400 gm can whole cherry tomatoes
  • 400 gm tomato sugo with basil
  • 160 gm (1 cup) mixed olives
  • Fried oregano leaves, to serve

Method

  • 1
    Heat a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Cut three slashes into skin and flesh of each cutlet; sear until golden (3 minutes each side); transfer to a tray. Add salami to pan; cook, turning until golden (2-3 minutes); drain on paper towel. Add fresh tomatoes; cook 2 minutes or until blistered; set aside.
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 200˚C fan-forced. Add leek and garlic to pan; cook stirring until softened (4-5 minutes). Add wine, and simmer until reduced by half (5 minutes). Return chicken and salami to pan with remaining ingredients except blistered tomatoes and bring to a simmer (2-3 minutes). Transfer to oven; bake until chicken is cooked through, and sauce has thickened (45 minutes).
  • 3
    Stir in blistered tomatoes and serve scattered with fried oregano.

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