Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

• 4 bone in chicken thighs large (1 kg / 2 lb)
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Cacciatore:

• 1 onion , halved, finely sliced
• 2 rosemary sprigs (about 15 cm/6″ long), or 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves , preferably fresh else dried
• 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 3 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp anchovy paste), optional (Note 2)
• 250g / 8 oz mushrooms , sliced
• 2 red capsicum , sliced 8 mm thick (medium, not giant)
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup pinot noir or other dry red wine (Note 3)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 400g/14 oz canned crushed tomato
• 16 whole kalamata olives , pitted, drained
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano

Instructions

Chicken:

• Season – Spread the chicken out on a tray. Sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper.
• Brown skin – Heat the oil over high heat in a large, deep, heavy based pan, preferably one with a lid (Note 4). Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, around 6 minutes. Turn and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute, then remove the chicken onto the same tray. Then add the drumsticks and brown each side as best you can, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side (the shape makes it awkward). Remove onto the tray.