Hunters Chicken Stew (Pollo alla Cacciatora)

This is a simple rustic dish, easy to prepare, looks impressive and great for a crowd. I have made it quite a few times as it something you prepare and pop in the oven and enjoy a wine (or two) while you chat with your friends and wait for it to cook. the smell wafting from the kitchen is just divine.
Just remember you need to marinate the chicken, best to do it the night before, and you need to reserve the marinade to return to the dish after you brown the chicken pieces. Don't do what I did once and throw the marinade out by mistake. A reminder to self,  'read the recipe before starting'! Mmmmmmm.
I slightly adapted Jamie Oliver's version found in 'Jamie's Italy'. Instead of tinned tomatoes I slow roasted a heap of over- ripe fresh tomatoes and added those to my dish. A great way to use up that abundant tomato harvest.  I tossed some of my lovely homegrown rosemary, garlic and bay leaves into the recipe too - very satisfying to have those so fresh in the garden at this time of the year.
Jamie recommends to serve this with cannellini beans and a salad but you could just serve with a side of fresh crusty bread smeared with loads of lovely butter. Great for sopping up that gorgeous sauce. I added a pile of small potatoes to the dish, a bit of a favourite combo of mine.
Hunters Chicken Stew (Pollo alla Cacciatora)
Ingredients
1 x 2kg chicken or equivalent amount of chicken pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 bay leaves
2 sprigs of rosemary
3 cloves of garlic (1 crushed, 2 sliced)
1/2 bottle of Chianti (I just used a cheapish Shiraz)
flour for dusting and extra virgin olive oil
6 anchovy fillets
a handful of green or black olives, stoned
2 x 400g tins of plum or Italian tomatoes or equivalent slow roasted ripe tomatoes with just a little water added ( I added a little too much)
Method
Season chicken pieces and put them in a bowl with the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and the crushed garlic and cover with the wine. Leave to marinate for at least an hour but preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180 or 350F. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels.
Dust your chicken pieces with flour and shake off excess. Heat a pan with a little olive oil and brown chicken evenly on both sides.
Place pan back on heat, add sliced garlic. Fry gently until golden brown, add the anchovies, olives, tomatoes (break them up a little) and chicken pieces and reserved marinade.
Bring to the boil, cover with a lid or foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprigs and serve.

I should have reduced the sauce a little more at the first stage. It wasn't wasted - I just scooped it up with a large soup spoon!

I love the flavours in this dish