Catchin’ Tory Chicken

So long ago that I don’t even know how old I was, nor what adult level of life I was in; I only know it was prior to 30, as I was kidless, I sat in one of those cookie-cutter italian restaurants with some friends, drinkin’ cheap-ass red vinegar disguised as house wine and thinkin’ we were so darn grown up and sophisticated, and I overheard the following conversation at an adjacent table.

lady: “I think I will get the Cacciatore Chicken. Doesn’t that sound good?”
young girl: “I dunno.”

(silence)

young girl: “Mom? Who’s Tory?”
lady: “What do you mean?”
young girl: “Mom, I just want to know who Tory is and why do we have to catch him? You said you were having Catchin’ Tory Chicken.”

At this point, we all recite in unison “Ahhh….out of the mouth of babes.” It makes me think of the time that Griffin, ripe age of 8, asked me if I was making that ‘Guatemala’ to go with our burritos. I was making Guacamole. Or of the time he called a Mitsubishi car a ‘Mooshoobooshoo’; or of the time………

You get the idea. Once we hear one play on words, we can rattle off a whole slew of them. I bet anyone person reading this can name at least three instances where they misunderstood words in a highly laughable manner. Like thinking that the Rolling Stones song ‘Beast of Burden’ was saying ‘I’ll never be your pizza burning.” Come on! You know you’ve done it! Feel free to confess so we can all share in the laughter.

But I digress…..

Mmmmm…..Catchin’ Tory Chicken

This version utilizes a mostly-from-scratch option that gets a boost from baking in the oven; well, and a BIG boost on my part from the generous splash of fabulous, hearty and rich 2004 Graziano Zinfandel wine that just leapt out of the bottle (LEAPT…all on it’s own, I swear)  towards the pan before I could stop it. Most Catchin’ Tory Chicken recipes have a breaded coating on the meat; I like to just dust with heavily seasoned flour before pan searing, which I think adds a generous amount of flavor but very little extra calories.

Large chunks of onion, green and red pepper and copious amounts of sliced garlic add texture, and a few well chosen cans of tomato product give it the final edge. The meat bakes under the wealth of flavors until it’s juicy and tender, then the luscious sauce is spooned over pasta. It is a perfect dish for a chilly night, and the bake time in the oven means you can cook up a batch,  then put your feet up and even read a book while the oven does the work, filling your house with the heavenly scent, driving your family mad with lustful hunger. This was one of those dishes where both Mike and Griffin came into the kitchen nearly floating on air, both rhapsodizing “What IS that SMELL!???”

But beware of heavy slurping sounds from ’round the table! This is one of those ‘leave the inhibitions behind’ meals that requires full participation. And don’t wear a white shirt!!

(jump for recipes and Notes)

Chicken Cacciatore (from Mpls StarTribune newspaper, 12/06/07)

12 skinless chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks, skinned
¹/₂c. flour seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic salt
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil, or more as needed
1 red onion, cut into thick slices
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 bell peppers (mix of green and red), seeded and cut into chunks
16 oz. mushrooms, quartered
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) can diced Italian tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) jar tomato sauce
¹/₂c. Marsala wine
1 tsp. sugar
¹/₄c. sliced basil leaves, or to taste
1 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour. In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil and sauté the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned, adding more oil if necessary, about 5 minutes per side. The chicken should be crispy but not overcooked. Place the chicken in a roasting pan as you finish sautéing the pieces.

Once the chicken is sautéed and removed, add the onion and garlic to the same pan and sauté until translucent, about 1 minute, then add the peppers and cover the pan so they wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Layer these over the chicken in the roasting pan. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and sauté, stirring until just browned, about 2 minutes. Add to the chicken.

Pour the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Marsala, sugar, basil, oregano and salt and pepper to the sauté pan. Stir to scrape up any of the browned bits on the bottom. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes (adding a little water if necessary). Ladle this sauce over the chicken. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, place in oven and bake for 1 to 11/2 hours. Serve over cooked pasta.

RECIPE NOTES:
I used a 8-piece cut up chicken in place of the listed pieces. It cooked in about an hour. The flour was seasoned with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary (all dried) and a handful of cornmeal for added crunch. I used yellow onion, not red, and forgot to buy mushrooms and still the flavor was fabulous. The pan was very full- don’t use a 9×13! Use a big pan! I did not cover the pan and the tomato product browned on the top while it baked. The extra flavor it added was superb. We ate it with whole grain pasta.

The wine added a great deal of flavor as well; use something hearty and deeply red if you want this option. Cabernet might work, sangoivese or zinfandel pack the biggest punch of flavor. But, as always, feel free to skip it too. I did not simmer the sauce for a half hour; I just brought it to a boil, poured it over the meat and put it in to bake. It was still perfect.