Pollo alla CacciatoraHunter-Style Chicken

Prepare the chicken

• 1 Cut 1000 g chicken thighs into large pieces at the joints and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• 2 Season all over with 1 tsp salt and black pepper and rest skin-side up for 10 minutes.
• 3 If moisture reappears on the surface, blot lightly again.

Prepare the aromatics

• 1 Coarsely chop 1 onion and 1 carrot.
• 2 Remove strings from 1 celery stalk and coarsely chop.
• 3 Lightly crush 2 garlic cloves with the flat of a knife.

Brown the chicken skin

• 1 Heat 50 ml extra virgin olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and add the chicken skin-side down.
• 2 Cook for 6–7 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and browned deposits form on the pot bottom.
• 3 Turn, cook for 3 minutes and remove.

Cook the soffritto

• 1 Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the same pot and sauté over medium heat for 8–10 minutes.

Reduce the wine

• 1 Pour in 150 ml dry white wine and reduce over high heat for 2–3 minutes, scraping browned deposits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Braise with tomatoes

• 1 Tip 400 g canned whole tomatoes into a bowl and crush coarsely by hand.
• 2 Add the crushed tomatoes, 2 rosemary sprigs and 1 bay leaf, then return the chicken skin-side up.
• 3 Bring to a boil, lower the heat and braise with the lid slightly ajar for 35 minutes.

Finish

• 1 Uncover, raise to medium heat and reduce for 5 minutes.
• 2 Remove rosemary and bay leaf and plate.