This week has been a killer. With business travel and a closed airport starting things off on Monday, the weekend couldn’t come fast enough. Between the exhaustion and the damp weather, we were seeking some comfort food.
This recipe for Hunter’s Chicken appeared on Food52 and seemed to fit the bill. With a little simplification and tweaks to utilize what we had on hand, this fragrant dish with tomatoes, mushrooms and red wine was just what we were looking for.
Hunter’s Chicken
Soak ½ cup of dried porcini mushrooms in boiling water until soft.
Strain carefully to remove grit, chop and set aside.
Rinse and pat dry one small chicken, cut into pieces. Sprinkle with salt and sauté in olive oil until brown on all sides. Remove and place on a plate until needed.
Add 1-pound clean and sliced crimini mushrooms to the pan and cook until brown. Add the porcinis back to the pan and sauté briefly.
Set the mushrooms aside. 
Add one diced onion to the pan and cook until transparent. Add one small shredded carrot and mix. Add the mushrooms back to the pan, with 2 cans of drained chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and a cup of dry red wine. Add back some of the porcini liquid, and season with salt and pepper. Toss in a liberal amount of fresh thyme, a bay leaf, and any other fresh herbs you have on hand. Cook until the mixture melds together, and a bit of the liquid starts to evaporate.
Spread the mixture into the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Nestle the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables, and cover the pan with parchment paper.
Cook in a 350-degree oven for at least 1 hour or more, until the chicken is starting to fall off the bones, and the sauce is starting to thicken.
Serve with a side of polenta, and enjoy!
Easy Polenta:
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add 1-¾ cups of cornmeal (polenta) to the pan, stirring often to remove lumps.
Simmer until thickened and tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, mixing thoroughly. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve with Hunter’s Chicken and enjoy!
Photos: Glasshouse Images
Indigo jones 