Chicken Cacciatore

This dish used to be in our regular rotation but we haven’t made it in a while.  The recipe is originally from Emeril, but as I have prepared and eaten it, it has been adjusted to my personal tastes.  Last week I decided that I wanted to make it again and since this month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge was Pressure Cookers, Dutch Ovens, and Crockpots, I knew it was a good time to fix it.  I love this dinner because it has so much flavor and it’s very easy to prepare.  I made a few changes to the recipe.  I only used boneless skinless chicken breasts and pounded them thin and sauteed them after adding the seasonings.  I have found that this works better than cooking them in the sauce because the sauce tends to make the coating soggy.  I also use double the amount of mushrooms because I love mushrooms in a red sauce and I didn’t think this one had enough.  I also added a few dashes of red pepper flakes to make it a little bit spicier.  This is a great recipe and one that I always enjoy making, and I am submitting it to this month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge, hosted by Lis of La Mia Cucina.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
Cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper for coating chicken
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups mushrooms (I used cremini)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chiffonade basil
1/2 pound cooked fettuccine or spaghetti
4 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Season the chicken parts with desired amounts of paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour, coating completely.  Saute chicken in olive oil until done, and place in warm oven until ready to serve.
In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the red pepper, bay leaf, thyme, and basil. Add the chicken back to the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Simmer until sauce is of desired consistency and flavors are blended together.
Serve over pasta, garnished with cheese and parsley.

Source: Adapted from Emeril Legasse, originally in  New New Orleans Cooking, published by William and Morrow, 1993