Oven-Braised Chicken Cacciatore with Pancetta, Mushrooms and Gremolata

Method

1. Pat the chicken dry, season both sides with the salt and pepper and leave it skin side up on a plate, uncovered, in the fridge for 1 hour (a dry brine). It seasons the meat right through and dries the skin so it crisps better. Meanwhile soak the porcini in the hot water for 20 min.

   Add in this stepBone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 150 g each) 4Salt 1½ tspBlack pepper 2 pinchDried porcini mushrooms 10 gHot water (for soaking the porcini) 120 ml

2. Heat the oven to 160 °C. Pat the chicken dry once more, heat the olive oil in a 26 cm ovenproof pan over medium-high heat and sear the thighs skin side down for 7 min. When the skin is deep brown, turn and cook for 2 min, then set aside. Work in two batches if crowded.

   Add in this stepExtra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp

   medium-high heat

3. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the pancetta and cook over medium heat for 3 min until crisp, then add the quartered mushrooms, leave them untouched for the first 2 minutes and cook for 6 min in total until well browned.

   Add in this stepDiced pancetta 60 gButton or chestnut mushrooms 150 g

   medium heat

4. Finely chop the onion and thinly slice three quarters of the garlic. Add them and cook over medium heat for 5 min until soft, then add the rosemary and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until the paste turns brick red.

   Add in this stepOnion 1Garlic cloves 1½Rosemary sprigs 1Tomato paste 1 tbsp

   medium heat

5. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat, pour in the wine and scrape the base; boil for 3 min until reduced by half. Lift out the porcini, chop roughly and add them, then pour in the soaking liquid, leaving the gritty last bit behind. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes and olives and bring to a simmer.

   Add in this stepDry red wine 150 mlCanned whole peeled tomatoes 300 gPitted black olives 30 g

   medium-high heat

6. Nestle the chicken into the sauce skin side up, keeping the skin above the liquid. Put it uncovered into the 160 °C oven (oven) for 40 min. It is ready when the meat near the bone reaches at least 80 °C, pulls away tenderly and the skin has crisped again.

   oven

7. Make the gremolata: finely chop the parsley leaves, the yellow zest of the lemon and the remaining garlic together.

   Add in this stepFlat-leaf parsley leaves 2 tbspUnwaxed lemon (for zest) ½Garlic cloves ½

8. Rest the dish out of the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the rosemary stems, taste the sauce and scatter over the gremolata before serving. The pancetta is salty, so add salt only if needed.