This is your classic one-pot comfort food cooking. I often serve it with green veggies and some steamed baby potatoes or to make it even easier, have a chunky loaf of sourdough on the table to help mop up all the yummy juices.
This recipe has been a favourite amongst a group of my friends for ages. We all love it, cook it often and even make it for each other when things are a bit tough.
It’s also a perfect dish for doubling if you want to feed guests a simple but tasty meal at this cooler time of year. Serve it Italian style – in the middle of the table with salad, bread and wine.
I noticed chef Neil Perry (aka Rockpool) writing about the same dish, (he called his Italian Chicken) in the Sunday paper recently. He used chicken pieces, like drumsticks and marylands, but I really prefer chicken thigh fillets, as we don’t need to worry about any bones but they still stay nice and moist.
I have had this recipe for so long I can’t remember where the original came from, my guess is I found it in an Australian Good Taste or Good Food Magazine.
One last thing….I have a love of and obsession with TINNED TOMATOES, they are one of my pantry staples all year round. A quick soup base, a pasta sauce, thrown into a slow cooker with meat and veggies, there isn’t much a tin of tomatoes can’t do.
- 500 grams chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2-3 rashers of bacon, trimmed, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes or 1/2 a fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 800 gram tin of diced tomatoes
- 1 large red capsicum, de-seeded and chopped roughly
- 1 large yellow capsicum, de-seeded and chopped roughly
- a handful of pitted black olives and chopped fresh basil to serve
- Heat olive oil in large frying pan or casserole dish over a medium heat.
- Add chicken pieces and cook until browned all over. If your pan is small, do this in 2 batches.
- Set chicken aside on a plate.
- Add garlic, bacon and chilli to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until golden.
- Add chopped capsicums, tinned tomatoes and the browned chicken into the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes, giving it a stir a couple of times.
- Remove the lid and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly.
- If desired, add olives and fresh basil leaves at this stage.
- You could use chicken pieces like drumsticks or marylands in this dish.
- You could use chicken breasts, but they do tend to dry out a bit, so you will need to reduce your cooking time if you use them.
Jane and I were talking yesterday about what we had tried from the blog, Emma. This one is now on my “to-cook” list for next week. I have a new cast iron pot to break in. Thanks for lovely ideas.
That’s so lovely to hear Bec. A new cast-iron pot, that’s exciting. I have been known to choose recipes based on what pot or pan or tin I feel like using. It sounds a bit crazy, but I am sure you understand. This recipe is just good simple home cooking and works beautifully in a cast iron pot. I hope your family like it. Love Emma x