Chicken & Bacon Cacciatore

Well, this recipe had mixed results in our family in that I loved it, son liked it, hubby liked it, but wouldn't go out of his way to have it again.



I thought I'd post it up, on the reckoning that there's a nasty cold bug travelling through the household (which started with son) and there's every chance that hubby's taste buds could have been affected.



We had tried a recipe for Chicken Cacciatore previously, which had turned out to be pale pink in the extreme.  So I'd been looking for another recipe which looked likely to turn out something flavoured rather more robustly.  Inevitably, I've tinkered around with the recipe so that it suits our requirements (breast of chicken instead of pieces, plus additional herbs) but the net result was a very creditable meal.



I served it with mashed potato, carrots and stringless beans, however it would be just as nice with anything from chip shop chips to plain white rice.  (Mmmmn .. did someone mention chip shop chips, just then? lol).







CHICKEN & BACON CACCIATORE (Serves 3, but is easily adjustable)



Ingredients :  



2 tbsp olive oil

3 skinless chicken breasts

6-9 rashers streaky bacon, chopped

2 onions, sliced

2 rosemary sprigs

1 x 400g can plum tomatoes

2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

500ml chicken stock

small bunch of parsley, chopped

5-10 leaves of basil, (depending on their size) chopped.





Method :



1.  Heat the oil in a deep frying pan.  Brown the chicken until golden, then reserve and keep warm.





2.  Add the bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisping.  Then reserve with the chicken.





3.  Add the onions and rosemary (leave the rosemary as a sprig, don't remove the leaves from the stick) to the pan and fry for 5-10 minutes or until the onions have softened and are beginning to brown.





4.  Add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, stock and seasoning.  Taste to check the seasoning.





5.  Add the bacon, then the chicken and bring to a simmer.





6.  Cover and cook for 25-30 mins until the chicken is tender.  If the sauce is still quite thin, add a teaspoon of cornflour slaked with a little water and stir until the sauce thickens.





7.  Add the parsley and basil, stir to combine and serve.





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