Chicken Cacciatore

1. Olive oil — as needed
2. 4 pounds chicken — cut into 8 to 10 pieces
3. Kosher salt
4. 2 large onions – sliced
5. Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
6. 4 garlic cloves — smashed and finely chopped
7. 1 red pepper — cut into 1/2-inch dice
8. 1 yellow pepper — cut into 1/2-inch dice
9. 1 pound cremini mushrooms — cleaned and sliced
10. 2 cups dry white wine
11. 2 cans of Italian plum tomatoes — passed through the food mill or pureed (28-ounce cans)
12. bundled thyme
13. 3 bay leaves

Coat a large, wide pot with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the chicken with salt and brown in the hot oil, working in batches, if needed. Once all the chicken is brown, remove to a plate and discard most of the excess fat.

If needed to coat the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and crushed red pepper, season with salt, and sweat over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the peppers and cook until they are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and cook until they are soft. Add the white wine and reduce by half.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes; taste for seasoning. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Check the level of the sauce periodically during the cooking process and replenish it with water as needed; the level of liquid should be about even with the chicken.

Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a pretty serving platter. Taste the sauce for seasoning, adjust if needed. Skim the surface of the sauce if excessively greasy. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Tastes like chicken!