Pollo alla Cacciatora
I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken and 1 1/2 cups of water. I served it with mashed potatoes made with white nugget potatoes seasoned with ground nora peppers. Instead of a terra-cotta pot, I used a large casserole dish. The dish is better served the next day.
1 chicken (3 to 3 1/2 lbs) or boneless skinless chicken breasts (3.86 lb for this recipe)
1 Tbsp rosemary leaves
7 or 8 leaves of fresh sage or under salt
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups hot water
Cut the chicken breasts into 5 pieces. Chop the garlic, rosemary and sage.
Heat the oil in a large casserole. When hot, add the garlic, rosemary and sage and saute until lightly golden brown (10 – 12 minutes). Add the chicken pieces and saute on medium heat until golden brown on all sides (about 15 minutes). Add 1/2 Tsp salt, 1/4 Tsp ground pepper and hot pepper flakes.
Reduce the heat and pour in the wine. Let it evaporate slowly (about 10 minutes), then add tomato paste and 1/2 cup of hot water. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, adding more hot water if needed.
The chicken should be cooked and there should be a small amount of thick sauce. Remove the bay leaf and transfer chicken pieces and sauce to a serving dish. Serve hot.
Source: The Fine Art of Italian Cooking, published in 1977. The updated version, The Fine Art of Italian Cooking: The Classic Cookbook, Updated & Expanded was published in 2005.