You thought you knew chicken cacciatore. An Italian classic, right? With chicken and tomatoes, right?–Renee Schettler

What Does The Name Cacciatore Mean, Anyways?!

Where does the naming convention cacciatore, which in Italy is more traditionally referred to as “alla cacciatora,” come from? The authors explain that “cacciatora” means ‘hunter’s wife,’ and in times past she would have had to rustle up a bubbling hot-pot from anything her hunter hubby dragged home from a hunt. Over the years it became an expression for a stew of mixed meats, usually cooked with tomatoes, wine, and herbs. This dish probably dates all the way back to ancient Rome when tomatoes had not been brought ashore from South America and often foods were flavored with herbs, vinegar and a dash of garum, the pungent anchovy sauce. The hunter’s catch could be rabbit, chicken, lamb, guinea fowl (which is our favorite as it has so much flavor) or even a meaty fish such as swordfish or monkfish.” There you have it. Perfect chit-chat for your next dinner party where this impressive yet easy recipe is the centerpiece.

Skillet and plate with Roman chicken cacciatore--chicken pieces, rosemary, and garlic on white wood

Roman-Style Chicken Cacciatore

4.80 / 5 votes
You know chicken cacciatore–chicken made with vegetables, herbs, and tons of tomatoes–right? In Rome, however, 'alla cacciatora’ implies meat stewed with rosemary, vinegar, and anchovies, with not one tomato in sight. Instead, the bird is simmered with garlic, rosemary, white wine, and anchovies.
David Leite
CourseMains
CuisineItalian
Servings6 servings
Calories236 kcal
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 1/2 pounds chicken or guinea hen, cut into 8 pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons rendered pork fat*, or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed
  • Two (6-inch) sprigs rosemary
  • 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 1/2 ounces white wine
  • 4 canned anchovy fillets, (if salted rinse well, if in oil don’t rinse)

Instructions 

  • Season the chicken pieces generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat the pork fat or oil in the biggest lidded frying pan you have (or use 2 if you can’t fit all the chicken comfortably into 1 pan) and add the garlic and rosemary.
  • Fry for 2 to 3 minutes over a medium heat until you can smell the herbs strongly; this will flavor the oil. Remove the herbs from the pan before they have a chance to burn and set aside for later. Fry the chicken pieces on all sides for about 10 minutes, browning all over, until they are a rich golden color. Be patient and don’t turn them too often; let them brown on one side and then turn to the other.
  • Pour in the vinegar and wine and bring to the boil. Allow the liquid to reduce for a few minutes, then add the anchovies and the reserved herbs and stir them into the liquid. Put the lid on the pan and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1 hour or until the meat falls easily from the bone. This will depend on your type of meat so allow enough time for it to get really soft. Check the pan every so often and add a little hot water if it looks dry. Adjust the seasoning as necessary and serve on soft polenta or with a side of simply blanched spinach.

Notes

In the past it was easier to use pork fat to cook rather than expensive olive oil. It has a higher smoke point than olive oil and imparts a subtle flavor to recipes. One of the authors, Giancarlo, remembers doing this in his youth, as when the olive oil had run out for the year, pork fat was the only alternative. They simply rendered down fatty cuts of pork by cooking the chopped fat slowly over a gentle heat. When a pool of fat appears in the bottom of the pan, pour it off into a bowl and return the pan to the heat and continue until no more fat appears from the pieces of pork. Allow the fat to cool, cover and chill in the fridge. It will keep for weeks, even months, and can be spooned out as you need it.
Rome Cookbook

Adapted From

Rome

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 portionCalories: 236 kcalCarbohydrates: 1 gProtein: 14 gFat: 18 gSaturated Fat: 6 gMonounsaturated Fat: 8 gTrans Fat: 0.1 gCholesterol: 63 mgSodium: 157 mgFiber: 0.02 gSugar: 0.2 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2015 Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi. Photo © 2015 Helen Cathcart. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This version of cacciatore has really won me over. Growing up, we spent many an “out to dinner holiday” (i.e. mother’s Day) in one of the classic Occidental restaurants, whether The Union Hotel or Negri’s. Everyone always had minestrone, followed by cacciatore, usually with onions, mushrooms, or other vegetables. What I loved about this version was the more austere treatment. I did add a bit of water both times, and in fact the second version, I still used the full amount of wine and vinegar, though I scaled down everything else, and had to watch that the liquid did not get too low, especially since it made such a perfect pasta sauce. I tried this with guinea legs and thighs and again with just the bone-in thighs, and I think it is easier to manipulate the smaller pieces in the pan for the browning, which you want to be very thorough with since this is the only time it will be able to pick up color. I also made sure that when finished browning, the skin side was up on the pieces so they would retain as much crispness as possible. Use your best anchovies (open that jar of Ortiz with the little tiny fork) and really nice vinegar and wine. Next time I will also be making a nice batch of polenta to go along. I made this first in a heavy, enameled cast iron dutch oven, and the smaller batch in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan that had higher sides than my frying pan, which was too large, I wanted the meat to be a bit more snug. Now I have to make it all over again soon.

This was simple to make, had great flavor, and yielded tender, juicy chicken. Alongside sautéed spinach, and roasted potatoes, it was a perfect Sunday supper.

Delicious chicken and gorgeous pan juices without much fuss. This recipe produced a scrumptious, easy weekend dinner for us. I decided to use chicken drumsticks to make it even simpler to prepare and more economical. It took all of 45 minutes for the chicken to become fall-off-the-bone tender, and the pan juices tasted bright with the vinegar without being sharp. The aroma of rosemary was lovely. I served the chicken with sautéed green beans, and the sauce and garlic were enjoyed with warm ciabatta bread. I shared this dish with the same taster who also had Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. We loved both equally! Pinot grigio was the wine of my choice. Unoaked chardonnay would be nice, too. I didn’t have plain pork fat, so I used olive oil.

We really enjoyed this Roman version of Chicken alla Cacciatora. The flavor of the rosemary, garlic, and vinegar came through perfectly. Searing the chicken for 10 minutes gave it a lovely golden color and imparted great flavor. We used a white Bordeaux wine. I served the chicken with sautéed zucchini and roasted red potatoes.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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16 Comments

  1. I worked an Italian place for years, in northern Minnesota. They did this. The only version I have ever tried. They do it a little different (not much but a little). This version of the dish also known as hunters chicken in Italian was often served with another rich dish. Carbonara……. They’re awesome together!
    I will be trying this recipe to see how close they are to one another. Love chicken cacciatore with carbonara…… Thousands of calories in this one but soooo nummy!

      1. 5 stars
        I made it, and it was delicious even with my extra garlic. Next time I will add mushrooms. thank u.

  2. 5 stars
    I had a similar dish while in Rome and it changed my life. I have been searching for a recipe ever since. This is very close although the one in Rome had an assortment of olives (I think similar to an Umbrian cacciatore). Definitely a fantastic dish and real proof of Rome’s ancient secret weapon, the anchovy. Cheers!

    1. Food memories are the best, Vincent. So happy that this recipe reminded you of your time in Roma.