Delia Smith Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Delia Smith’s chicken cacciatore recipe is her version of the Italian classic from Complete How To Cook, where a jointed chicken simmers in a sauce of fresh tomatoes, white wine, rosemary, and garlic that you reduce down first so every drop of flavour concentrates before the meat goes back in.

I had always used tinned tomatoes for things like this until Delia’s chicken cacciatore taught me what a difference fresh ripe ones make. The first time I tried it with pale January tomatoes the sauce was flat and slightly sour, and now I wait for summer when they actually smell like something.

More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Chasseur
• Chicken Basque
• Coq au Vin

The Sauce Reduces Before the Chicken Goes In

Most braised chicken recipes build the sauce around the meat, but Delia does it the other way round. The tomatoes, wine, and aromatics cook down for 20 minutes without a lid until the liquid halves, so by the time the chicken goes back in the sauce is already thick and intensely flavoured.

I tried skipping this step once and adding the chicken straight away, and the sauce stayed thin and watery with none of that rich tomato depth. Those 20 minutes of reducing are not a suggestion, which is also why the tomatoes you start with matter so much.

Fresh Tomatoes or Tinned?

Delia is clear that she wants fresh tomatoes here, very red and very ripe, because they break down into the sauce differently and keep a bit of texture that tinned ones lose. If you are making this outside of summer, use the ripest vine tomatoes you can get and add a pinch of sugar to make up for what the sun did not provide.

Chicken Cacciatore Ingredients

Delia’s recipe calls for a whole 1.35 kg chicken jointed into 8 pieces, though eight bone-in thighs work just as well and save you the jointing if you are not confident with a knife.

• 1 x 1.35 kg (3 lb) chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced
• 700g (1 lb 8 oz) ripe red tomatoes
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 level tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 level tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, bruised and finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 275 ml (10 fl oz) dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper

How To Make Delia Smith Chicken Cacciatore

1. Brown the chicken: Get the oil really hot in a large lidded casserole until it shimmers, then season the chicken joints with salt and pepper and fry them in two batches until each piece is a lovely golden brown all over, setting the first lot aside on a plate while you do the rest.
2. Cook the onions: Add the sliced onions to the casserole, turn the heat down to medium, and let them cook for 8 to 10 minutes until they soften and pick up some colour at the edges.
3. Skin the tomatoes: While the onions are going, pour boiling water over the tomatoes and leave them for exactly 1 minute, then drain and slip off the skins. Chop them quite small.
4. Build the sauce: Add the crushed garlic to the onions and let it cook for about a minute, then tip in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, rosemary, bay leaf, white wine, and white wine vinegar. Season well, bring it up to a boil, and let the whole thing bubble and reduce without a lid for about 20 minutes until it is roughly half its original volume.
5. Braise the chicken: Nestle the browned chicken pieces back into the sauce and stir them around so they are well coated. Put the lid on and let it all simmer gently for 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
6. Serve: This is lovely with green tagliatelle, noodles, rice, or a simple green vegetable.

Cacciatore or Chasseur?

Both names mean hunter’s chicken, one Italian and one French, and the technique is almost identical: brown the chicken, build a wine and tomato sauce, braise until tender. Delia’s cacciatore uses rosemary and white wine vinegar, while her chicken chasseur from One is Fun uses thyme, rosemary, and red wine instead of white.

The biggest practical difference is that the cacciatore reduces the sauce before the chicken goes in, which gives it a thicker, more concentrated base from the start. Whichever version you make, the sides are much the same.

What Delia Serves It With

Delia suggests green tagliatelle, noodles, rice, or a simple green vegetable, and I think the tagliatelle is the best choice because the sauce wraps around the ribbons and every forkful carries some chicken and some tomato with it. Crusty bread on the side is not optional if you want to get the last of that sauce off the plate.

Even Better Made Yesterday

Lindsey on Delia’s site suggests preparing the sauce and browning the chicken separately the day before, then combining and simmering for 45 minutes when you want to eat, adding an extra 5 minutes because the chicken starts from fridge-cold. The flavours develop overnight and it genuinely tastes better for the wait.

It freezes for up to 3 months cooled completely in a rigid container, and reheats covered at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes until piping hot. I would not freeze it with pasta already mixed in because the noodles go mushy.

Frequently Asked Questions

You Might Also Like:

• Chicken Marengo
• Chicken Paprika
• Spanish Chicken

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 390 kcal
• Fat: 15g
• Carbohydrates: 14g
• Fibre: 3g
• Protein: 40g

Nutrition estimated per serving based on 4 servings.