Dale and I had Mike and Charisse over last night. It was a lovely evening. They had been in Arizona over the holidays and brought us back a wedding vase. It was a very thoughtful gift. Mike is doing a month long cleanse where he is eliminating alcohol. I was a little disappointed since it's always fun to have a drink with him but I soldiered on alone and had a Sidecar, one of my favorite non-martini cocktails. Dale made chicken cacciatore which he thought was a little dry but I had to disagree with him. I thought the meat was just right. I think the fact that it is cooked in liquid helps. It was a hit with Mike and Charisse as well. Here's the recipe Dale used which is credited to Giada De Laurentis:
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, 4 chicken breasts with skin and backbone - halved crosswise, 2 teaspoons salt - plus more to taste, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - plus more to taste, 1/2 cup all purpose flour for dredging, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large red bell pepper - chopped, 1 onion - chopped, 3 garlic cloves - finely chopped, 3/4 cup dry white wine, 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice, 3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth, 3 tablespoons drained capers, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.
In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.
Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken , then sprinkle with the basil and serve.
