Simply think about your self out within the woods, someplace in Italy. It is a frigid January night and also you and your searching companions have bagged yourselves a brace of some form of wild fowl. Whilst you have been kneeling behind shrubbery underneath an oak tree, you seen that there have been mushrooms and later, in a meadow, wild parsley rising. Varied members of the group had introduced some tomatoes, an onion, some olive oil, salt and pepper and a pot with lid. After all all of you had sharp knives.
After the hearth had gotten going and essentially the most intrepid of you had cleaned and reduce up the poultry, the designated cook dinner for the night put collectively a scrumptious hunters stew utilizing what was obtainable. Perhaps it was the corporate, possibly it was the alcoholic beverage consumed as you waited for the hen to stew, possibly it was the contemporary air and freedom, however you have been sure that you simply had by no means tasted a greater stew!
Happily, we do not have to cook dinner outside to have a scrumptious Hunter’s Hen Stew. We are able to make it within the kitchen and the easy components enable us to place all of it collectively pretty shortly after which into the oven for about 40 minutes to stew.
You begin by browning the hen in a tiny little bit of olive oil. I used boneless, skinless hen thighs, however a reduce up complete hen or a mix of elements, with pores and skin or with out work properly, too.
After you take away the browned hen from the pan, you kind of stir-fry the thinly sliced onions shortly. As soon as these are eliminated, you add a bit extra olive oil and brown the mushrooms. A can of diced tomatoes and juice get added. The acid within the tomato juice means that you can scrape up the browned bits sticking to the underside of the pan, including nice taste to the stew juices.
All the things goes again into the pan after you have added salt and pepper to style. You then sprinkle on a great quantity of Italian parsley, cowl the pan and into the oven it goes. A lot simpler than the time the hunters had! When it is completed, you could have a beautiful pan of tender, falling-of-the-bone (when you used hen with bones) flavorful hen, plus a savory pan sauce to take pleasure in.
Serve this up with one thing that can take in the juices…polenta, mashed potatoes, rice, or chunks of crusty bread. A inexperienced salad on the aspect is about all you’ll want to have a beautiful meal. Nonetheless have issues to do? That is O.Okay….you possibly can depart the pan within the turned-off oven for as much as an hour extra earlier than serving.
Hen Cacciatore
Primarily based on a recipe from Ladies’s Day 12-14-82
1 hen, reduce up (I used 7 hen thighs)
1 massive onion, sliced skinny
4 oz. contemporary mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 16 oz. can tomatoes, reduce up
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt & pepper to style & olive oil for the underside of the pan & an oven-proof pan
Sprinkle hen with salt. In a big, heavy ovenproof skillet, over medium warmth, brown hen in scorching oil. (I take advantage of simply sufficient oil to coat the pan backside to maintain the hen from sticking. When you have a big, heavy ovenproof non-stick skillet, you don’t even want the oil.)
Add the onion; cook dinner about 3 minutes, stirring, till the onion is crispy-tender. Take away and put with the browned hen. Add one other tablespoon olive oil and the sliced mushrooms. Stir to coat, cowl, flip warmth to low, and cook dinner for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
Take away pan from the warmth. Stir within the tomatoes and pepper. Add again the hen and onions. Sprinkle with the parsley. Cowl the pan.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 diploma F. oven for about 40 minutes, or till tender.
Serve, or stand in turned off oven as much as 1 hour.
Serves 4-6.
