SPAGHETTI SUNDAY FEAST!!!

Now that I don’t work for any television channel, the only two channels I watch are Fox Traveller & TLC! And I don’t seem to get enough of the food shows! But guess who is obsessed with watching food shows now? Button! Of course, the world would turn topsy-turvy if he could even boil an egg!!!

So, for the last two weeks all the exotic cuisines on TV have made Button pine for spaghetti. (Yes, I’ve managed to pass on my love for Italian cuisine to him too!) Now, the thing with Button is that he doesn’t eat any meat, other than chicken. And although one could make a Bolognese sauce with minced chicken, I find it very boring! And then I stumbled upon an episode of one my most favorite chefs, Jamie Oliver’s 15-minute meals, where he makes the quickest Pollo Alla Cacciatora! In an instant I knew I had to cook that!

Cacciatore means ‘hunter’ in Italian, and Pollo Alla Cacciatora or ChickenCacciatora is a meal prepared in the hunter’s style, with tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, peppers & wine. And the cacciatore is ideally prepared braising chicken (Pollo Alla Cacciatora) or rabbit (Coniglio Alla Cacciatora).

Now coming to the dish I prepared. I have cooked Chicken Cacciatora before and it’s a dish that involves some slow cooking of the sauce and then a hour & half with the chicken in the oven. Sounds tedious, but it isn’t. And the end result is stunningly yummy!!! That’s what I love about Italian cuisine. They use such fes, simple ingredients & create a dish with flavors that will blow your mind!

But what I love about Jamie Oliver… (Besides of course, the fact that he is as yummy as his preparations, if not more! And that lisp… Sigh…!) is that he makes everything look simple and delicious!!! And he almost always has a twist or a spin on classic dishes! Like this 15-minute Chicken Cacciatora. Of course, thanks to Button, I had to omit out the pancetta & the anchovies (I know I know! Sue me!!)

But if you were a bacon eater, I would urge you add it to the dish. The anchovies & the pancetta elevate this dish to another level. Jamie doesn’t add onions to this particular version, but I did. A good sauce isn’t complete for me without the smashing flavor of onions. And instead of bottled, roasted peppers, I used fresh, roasted a fresh pepper, and substituted the oyster mushrooms with Portobello mushrooms. I have also added a cup of chicken stock & dried oregano.

Now, I would imagine a hunter would cook with whatever ingredients available to him at the time. So, go for it and have fun with your cacciatore!

SPAGHETTI WITH POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA INSPIRED FROM JAMIE OLIVER!

Ingredients:

400 grams good quality, Spaghetti 

3 to 4 pieces of a mix of boneless chicken breasts & chicken thighs

1 fresh, red Bell Pepper, roasted

150 grams, each of Chestnut Mushrooms & Portobello Mushrooms, roughly chopped into large pieces

One finely chopped large Onion

3-4 finely chopped Garlic cloves

One red Chilli (I’ve used two for a spicy kick)

2-3 fillets of Anchovies

4-5 sliced Pancetta rashers (You could use a good quality bacon too)

8 to 10 black olives

1 can (400 grams) of whole Tomatoes or tomato passata

A cup of Chicken stock

Half a glass of good Red Wine

Couple of Rosemary sprigs 

1 teaspoon dried Oregano

A handful of Basil leaves

Salt & pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Couple of tablespoons of Olive oil

Method:

Chop the chicken into bite-size cubes. In a dish, heat the olive oil and throw in the chicken and stir-fry till it turns a lovely golden brown. Season it well with salt & pepper. Keep the gas on high flame. Now drop in the chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms and sauté till the all the water from the onions & mushrooms are absorbed and they turn a lovely golden brown color. Add the rosemary and a teaspoon of oregano & stir. Throw in the anchovy fillets & pancetta slices, along with the roasted bell pepper & the finely sliced red chillies. Please remember to keep the gas on high whack. Let all of this stew and caramelize while you boil the water for the Spaghetti. Boil a liter of water. Let the water come to a rolling boil and add salt. It should taste as salty as the ocean. Let the pasta cook for 7-8 minutes (Or according to packet instructions). I like my pasta al dente, a term from Italian, which means ‘to the tooth’ or `to the bite’.

While your pasta cooks, add the red wine. As soon as it evaporates, add a can of tomatoes and break the tomatoes with the back of your wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock and leave the sauce without a lid on and simmer. Have a taste, toss in torn basil leaves & serve hot over the spaghetti. Garnish with grated, fresh Parmesan cheese & basil leaves. Voila!