Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. In the kitchen cacciatore refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style” usually with tomatoes, garlic, onions, mushrooms, herbs and wine.

The rustic, savoury flavours of a dish like this one call for a full flavoured white wine or perhaps even a red. My suggestion is to try this with Vermentino.

Ingredients for 4 people
1 large chicken jointed, or you could use about 2 kg of thigh pieces
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
A red pepper sliced
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 kg roma tomatoes, skinned or use 2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 cup white wine
half cup tomato passata
1 tsp dried oregano
about 12 seeded black olives
Oilve oil

Method
Use a large pan to brown the chicken in the oil in batches, then set it aside.
Saute onion and, garlic and pepper in the pan. When the onion is soft, not brown, stir in the wine, tomatoes, passata and oregano. Bring to the boil, stir well then add the chicken pieces and the sliced mushrooms. Cover and simmer very low heat for 30-45 minutes. Add the olives about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with crusty bread and a green salad, or a green vegetable such as broccoli according to season.

Vermentino would be an ideal wine to serve with this meal. This dry white wine with firm aromatic flavours can match the garlic, onion, tomato and pepper in the Cacciatore.