Baked Chicken Cacciatora

Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian, and this is the kind of hearty, rustic dish you’d want waiting after a long day outdoors.

Flour-dusted chicken pieces get browned until golden in a hot skillet, building a caramelized crust that locks in flavor. The pan drippings become the base for the sauce: garlic, sliced bell peppers, and mushrooms sautéed until soft, then tomato sauce, dry red wine, and oregano poured over the top.

Everything moves to a baking dish, gets covered, and bakes until the chicken is falling-off-the-bone tender and the sauce has thickened into a rich, wine-stained gravy.

A shower of grated Parmesan at the finish adds a salty, nutty edge. Serve this over pasta, polenta, or crusty bread. You’ll want something to soak up every last drop.

Chef Tips

• Brown the chicken thoroughly before baking. That step builds the foundation of flavor for the entire dish.
• Use a dry, full-bodied red wine like Chianti or Sangiovese. It complements the tomato sauce naturally.
• Don’t skip the garlic in the pan drippings. One minute of sautéing blooms the flavor without burning it.
• Half a pound of mushrooms seems like a lot, but they shrink down and melt into the sauce.