We have pretty much exhausted the different nationalities and so the thought of an eclectic world menu sounded interesting; however, when I asked him from which of the seven seas he thought our main course should come, he hit me with this: Classic Chicken Cacciatore (has 7 c’s, see?) You have to know Zig.
Well, I decided that wasn’t a good theme for Grub Club, but it made me think about chicken cacciatore which I hadn’t made in a long time. I found three different recipes using three different techniques and methods of cooking—even some different ingredients. I decided to try the one with the least fat and calories to see if it was good—and then move on if it was lacking. We all know that most dishes that cut the fat and calories are not as good as their fat cousins—but this was an exception. It was so good that I didn’t even bother to try the others. I think you will agree.
The cost factor is paramount in my cooking these days, as I am sure it is in yours. This is such a low-cost meal for a dish worthy of company, that I filed it in my special budget dishes file. You can further reduce the cost of this dish by buying large, succulent, whole chickens and cutting them up yourself. This is really a pretty simple undertaking, once you get the hang of it. Make sure the chicken is still partially frozen for the easiest cutting. You should be able to move the legs and thighs away from the body easily, but still see ice crystals in the chicken. Most old-fashioned standard cookbooks will have step-by-step instructions, usually with pictures, to guide you. If you’ve done it once or twice and have a good knife/cleaver/poultry shears, it will take you under 10 minutes.
While it is still partially frozen, the skin will come off cleanly and easily, too.
The first time I served it, I used a low-fat polenta alongside it; the next time we had pasta and French bread to soak up the even-better-the-second-time-around sauce.
Classic Seven Seas Chicken Cacciatore
3-4 pound chicken, cut up
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, sliced
½ large green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 ½ -ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
¾ cup white Zinfandel (or other fruity wine)
1 tsp sugar (2 tsp. if you use a dry wine)
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp snipped parsley
Polenta or hot, cooked pasta (such as spaghetti or linguine)
Skin chicken. In large skillet cook chicken in hot olive oil about 15 minutes or until light brown, turning to brown evenly. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet; set chicken aside. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and green pepper to skillet; saute about 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet. In another bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper. Pour over chicken in skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered for 35 minutes. Turn chicken once during cooking; test for doneness and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes if necessary. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 6 servings at 300 calories per serving
Polenta
1 cup medium-grind cornmeal
1 cup cold water
½ tsp. salt
Grated Pecorino-Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
In saucepan, bring 2 ¾ cups water to boiling. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine cornmeal, 1 cup cold water and salt. Slowly add cornmeal mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture returns to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally. Pour hot mixture into an 8x11 rectangular baking pan, spreading into an even layer; cool. Cover and chill about 45 minutes or until very firm. Bake polenta, uncovered in a 350 degree oven about 20 minutes. Cut into squares. Put grated cheese over polenta and sauce. Makes 6 side-dish servings at 84 calories per serving.
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