Destination Anywhere

A few years ago there was a thread on SlowTalk about meals that freeze well. Diana from Baur B&B posted her mother's recipe for Chicken Cacciatore, which has since become a favorite in my house. I sometimes make some slight variations to her recipe, adding more vegetables and cutting some calories. Don't skip the anchovies and lemon peel, they add a lot of depth to the sauce! We like it with pasta, and its also good on rice. Thanks, Diana!

Diana's recipe is here: http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/8566036302/m/912106294?r=621101805#621101805

And here it is, with my revisions in italics.

Diana's Mother's Chicken Cacciatore

Olive Oil
4 chicken legs and 4 chicken thighs, with skin on. (I use 8 thighs, skin off)
one large onion finely minced
My optional vegetable additions--one sweet red bell pepper, sliced; 1 cup sliced mushrooms)
three cloves finely chopped garlic
the minced zest of one lemon
one cup finely chopped parsley
3 finely chopped anchovies (I've used 2 tsp. anchovy paste)
One quart of canned or glassed tomatoes, chopped.
One small Italin red pepper (pepperoncino) seeded and finely chopped.
1.5 cups of dry red wine
(chopped basil or parsley)

In a deep large pan,

Flour and brown the individual chicken pieces in olive oil. (I use 1 Tbs) Remove the chicken, and add the onion, garlic, (red pepper strips and mushrooms) half the parsley, the red pepper, the anchovy and the lemon zest. Let this simmer, adding a bit of oil if desired, until the whole thing is a nice golden color. Add the red wine, and simmer off the alcohol. Add the tomatoes, and simmer five minutes. Add the chicken back in, and cook the whole thing for about 45 minutes to an hour at least. Right before ending the cooking process, season and add the last half of the parsley.

At this point, after it cools, it can be poured into a freezer container and frozen, or eaten directly. (I think it tastes best the next day) I like to sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley before serving.

Can be served with either rice or pasta-