Montreal Gazette

Six O’Clock Solution: Hunter’s Chicken BY JULIAN ARMSTRONG, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
Original article can be found @ The Montreal Gazette online.

A family dinner is a fine time for easygoing Italian food, such as this recipe from the new cookbook Whatever Happened to Sunday Dinner? by Lisa Caponigri (Sterling Epicure/Canadian Manda Group, $29.95).

The author, an American who learned about Italian cuisine from her Sicilian grandmother, suggests a green salad with a balsamic/olive oil dressing to accompany the chicken. For a smaller family, divide the recipe in half.

Whatever Happened to Sunday Dinner? is a gold mine of 52 menus, made up of 250 recipes. Photos and layout are outstanding.

Hunter’s Chicken
Serves 8

2 or 3 small chickens, each cut in 8 serving pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup olive oil
5 onions, cut in half, sliced very thinly
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large bell peppers, cut in strips
1 cup red wine
1 can (28 ounces / 796 mL) chopped tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with juice
2 cups sliced mushrooms

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with flour. Using a deep, heavy, heatproof casserole or Dutch oven with lid, heat oil over high heat and brown chicken on all sides in batches, about 10 minutes per batch. Set chicken on paper towels to drain. Reduce heat to medium-high, add onions, garlic and bell peppers to oil in pan, and cook until onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add wine and deglaze pan, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of casserole.

Simmer for about 3 minutes, then stir in tomatoes and return chicken to casserole. Reduce heat to low, cover casserole and simmer for 40 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer, uncovered, until they are tender and chicken is cooked through, about another 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.