Roman-Style Chicken Cacciatore

By Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds chicken or guinea hen (cut into 8 pieces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons lard (or extra-virgin olive oil)
2 garlic cloves (unpeeled and lightly crushed)
Two (6-inch) sprigs rosemary
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup white wine
4 canned anchovy fillets ((if salted rinse well, if in oil don’t rinse))

Prep Time25mins
Cook Time65mins
Servings6

Instructions

Season the chicken pieces generously all over with salt and pepper.

Heat the lard or oil in the biggest lidded skillet 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 burn and set aside for later.

Fry the chicken pieces on all sides until they're a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. ☞ TESTER TIP: 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 a boil. Allow the liquid to reduce for a minute or two.

Stir the anchovies and the reserved herbs into the liquid.

Cover 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 marvelously 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 sautéed greens.