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Chicken Cacciatore with Peppers and Olives

Hunter-style Italian chicken: thighs browned and slowly simmered in a rich tomato sauce with peppers, mushrooms, garlic, herbs and olives. One pan, about 80 minutes, 36g of protein and only 12g of carbs a serving.

Dinner

80

Serves 4

A pan of chicken thighs braised in tomato sauce with red peppers, mushrooms, black olives and fresh parsley

Ingredients

  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 640g/1lb 7oz), trimmed of visible fat
  • Half a tsp salt and black pepper
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
  • 1 large onion (about 150g/5oz), sliced
  • 2 red peppers (bell peppers, about 300g/10½oz), deseeded and sliced
  • 200g/7oz mushrooms, such as chestnut (cremini), halved or quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic (about 12g), sliced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried rosemary, or 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) red wine vinegar
  • 150ml/⅔ cup low-salt chicken stock (check it is gluten-free if you need it to be)
  • 1 x 400g (14oz) tin (can) chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp (15g) tomato purée (tomato paste)
  • 60g/2oz/½ cup pitted black olives
  • 10g/a loosely packed ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

  1. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan or casserole with a lid (about 28cm/11in) over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in two batches, 3 to 4 minutes each side, until golden. Lift onto a plate; it does not need to be cooked through yet.
  2. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and peppers to the pan and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes more, then stir in the garlic and herbs for 1 minute (if using fresh rosemary sprigs, add them whole and remove before serving).
  3. Pour in the vinegar and let it bubble for a few seconds, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, tomatoes and tomato purée and bring to a simmer.
  4. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan, nestling it into the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes, then take off the lid, add the olives and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is tender and cooked through, with no pink in the middle. If you have a thermometer, the thickest piece should reach 75C/167F.
  5. Scatter over the parsley and serve 2 thighs each. It is good with wholewheat pasta, polenta, crusty wholegrain bread or a green salad (not included in the nutrition figures).
  6. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat until piping hot.

Why it works

A serving of 2 thighs has about 36g of protein and only 12g of carbohydrate for 315 calories, before any pasta, polenta or bread. That makes it easy to fit around your needs: serve it with a grain if you are active, or with salad if you want a lighter meal.

What cacciatore means. Cacciatore is Italian for hunter, and the dish is a rustic braise of chicken with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and herbs. Versions vary across Italy; many add red or white wine. This one uses a splash of red wine vinegar instead, so it is alcohol-free and suitable for everyone.

Why thighs. Chicken thighs stay juicy during a long simmer, where breast tends to dry out. With the skin off and visible fat trimmed, they are still a lean source of protein.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. Most of the carbohydrate comes from the tomatoes, peppers and onion, with their fibre. Served with salad or a small portion of wholewheat pasta, it is a meal unlikely to cause a sharp rise in blood sugar.

For another one-pan chicken dinner, try the Greek lemon chicken traybake or the chicken, butter bean and kale one-pot.