Creamy Chicken Cacciatore

Rich, creamy, made in one pan – is this the ideal relaxed dinner-party dish? I think so! You can halve this recipe to serve two, or scale it up and use a large roasting dish to feed a crowd in a fuss-free manner. Use canned cherry tomatoes if you can find them: they add beautiful texture and are sweeter than regular canned tomatoes. Delicious served with couscous, short pasta or rice, and a dressed green salad.

Serves 4

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 45–50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Pull Up a Chair: Recipes for Gatherings Big and Small, Morning to Night Martha Collison

• 4 large chicken thighs, skin on, bone in

• olive oil, for drizzling

• 1 onion, halved and finely sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons capers in brine

• 1 red pepper, finely sliced

• 25g (1oz) basil, half roughly chopped, half leaves picked

• 2 × 400g (14oz) cans cherry tomatoes

• 125g (4½oz) mascarpone

• sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6) and place a large, ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Season the chicken thighs and rub the skin with a small amount of olive oil, then place, skin-side down, in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until the skin has started to brown and become crisp. Use tongs to remove the chicken and set aside on a plate, leaving any excess oil in the pan.

2. Keep the pan over the heat and add the onion, along with a pinch of salt. Sweat for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add the garlic, capers and red pepper, and fry for a further 5 minutes.

3. Add the chopped basil and canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the mascarpone until the sauce is creamy. 

4. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, skin-side up, leaving the skin above the liquid so it becomes crisp. Season well with salt and pepper, then transfer to the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes. The sauce should have reduced and the chicken should be crisp on top and cooked through. 

5. Top with the remaining fresh basil and serve with your chosen accompaniments.

TIP
If you want to double this recipe but don’t have an ovenproof frying pan large enough, simply decant the sauce elements into a large roasting tin after they have been cooked. Nestle the seared chicken into the tin and bake as above. 

Reprinted with permission from PULL UP A CHAIR by Martha Collison, Kyle Books. Photo: India Whiley-Morton.

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