A Tasty Easy to Cook Gluten Free Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

On the weekend we got to host a little dinner party with some good friends. I wanted to cook something Italian that was gluten free as one of Sandro's friends cannot eat flour, barley or grains.

For sometime now I have been wanting to cook an Italian dish minus flour, however as many of you know, this can be very difficult for Italian cooking.  So.... I got thinking and created a recipe for a Chicken Cacciatore using the traditional ingredients however with a touch of difference....

What is Chicken Cacciatore? 
Cacciatore refers to the Italian term "hunter" and is a meal that is prepared using chicken or rabbit and other in-season vegetables, traditionally field mushrooms, tomato and peppers are added and if available red or white wine.

For this dish I use an organic coconut oil instead of olive oil, massel chicken stock which is one of the best stock available at most supermarkets (no numbers in the ingredients), an organic white wine (home made) and organic canned tomato available at Aldi (I love Aldi!). I should also mention that I use smoked alder salt (see my previous post) and paprika to give the chicken a slightly smoky taste.

For this Cacciatore recipe, the chicken will be coated in a rice flour, cooked in coconut oil and slow cooked with tomato, chicken stock, wine and other veggies for approximately 1.5 hours and will be served on brown rice.  Super healthy and delicious and you will also find that the chicken will tenderize magnificently during the cooking process.

Counting Calories & Health Benefits?
This Chicken Cacciatore isn't a low calorie dish, there is approximately 740 calories per serve if you use the full ingredients listed below... however I have allocated 1.5 chicken thigh fillets and half cup of brown rice per person, you wouldn't eat this much on a normal day, therefore the calories are over stated.  I do like to over cater because the boys generally like to eat much more and to not have enough food is a real nightmare for any Italian. Left overs are great, the meal can be frozen for future eating or left in the fridge for the next day!

There is virtually no cholesterol or trans fats in this Chicken Cacciatore dish, it is high in protein with Vitamin A, C and contains some Iron.

What you will need?
One large round non stick pan to cook on a stove top with a lid
One large mixing bowl
Paper towelettes
& your usual cooking utencils... wooden spoon, chopping boards etc
 
Ingredients...
To serve 4 people

6-7 skinless chicken thigh fillets
1.5 cups of rice flour
1 tspn Smoked Paprika
1 tspn Smoked Alder Salt (optional) OR Pink Salt
3 tblsp Coconut Oil

1 onion sliced and diced
1 large garlic clove crushed
12 medium mushrooms sliced
2 red capsicums sliced
2 tspn capers
2 sprigs of fresh oregano (or 1 tblsp of dried oregano)
Cracked pepper to season
1 can of diced tomato or 2 cups of tomato passatta (pureed tomato)
200 mls of white wine
1 chicken stock cube in 100mls of hot boiling water
100grams of black kalamata olives
2 cups of brown rice 


To Prepare...

1. Add  2 tblsp of coconut oil to pan and heat on high
2. In a seperate bowl add your rice flour, salt and smoked paprika and lightly mix
3. Coat each chicken thigh in the rice mix and place in hot pan one by one
4. Cook the chicken on each side until brown, the chicken at this stage should not be cooked through
5. Set the chicken aside on a seperate plate lined with towelettes. Keep it close on the stove to ensure it remains hot.

6. In the same pan, add 1 tblsp of coconut oil, allow it to melt
7. Add garlic and onion to the pan, ensure the heat is medium and cook until onion is transparent. Should take 1 minute.
8. To the same pan, add sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have wilted
9. Add sliced capsicums and cook for one minute on medium heat
10. Add the olives, capers, oregano and cracked pepper
11. Stir through ingredients and cook for an additional minute
13. Add you chicken pieces into the pan nicely imbedded within the vegetables
12. Add your diced OR passatta tomato and mix through without disturbing the chicken too much
13. Finally, add your chicken stock and white wine
14. Cover and cook on low to medium heat for 1.5 hours.

This is what the ingredients should look like when they have all been added together... there is ample amount of liquid that will reduce down during the 1.5 hour cooking period.

Tip: 
Ensure to watch the chicken whilst it is cooking to ensure it doesn't burn and using a wooden spoon slightly mix the ingredients from time to time. At half time, try the the saucy part of the dish and season with salt if necessary. 


15. 20 minutes before your chicken is almost ready, prepare and cook your rice.
16. After the cooking time is up, sprinkle the dish with freshly chopped parsley

As you can see in the above picture, water from the wine, tomato and stock has completely reduced down. You should be left with a thick sauce and amazing tenderised chicken that will fall apart as your ladle it onto of your rice - perfection!

Serve on a bed of rice

Please let me know how you go making this recipe if you have any questions please post :)

Buon Appetito!

x Steph