Italian Style Chicken Alla Cacciatore

In Italian cuisine, alla cacciatore refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style” with tomatoes and pepper. Poppy seeds bring an extra element of texture, making this dish perfect to get you through the chillier months. 

Serves: 4 

Overall Cooking Time: 45min 

Active Time: 20min 

Ingredients: 

4 x Chicken Breast Skin on 
800ml Cooked Chopped Tomatoes 
2 x Green Pepper 
160g Pitted Green and Kalamata Olives 
60ml Pesto Princess Lemony Basil Pesto 
1000g Sweet Potato Chunks 
10ml Black Poppy Seeds 
3 x Garlic 

What you need: 

Oil 
Salt & Pepper 
Sugar/Xylitol 

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Evenly spread the sweet potato on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season and toss to coat. Roast in the hot oven for about 35-40 minutes until cooked through and turning golden. Shift the tray halfway for even colouring.
   
2. Drain and roughly chop the olives. Deseed and cut the peppers into bite-sized chunks. Loosen the basil pesto with 40ml of olive oil. Peel and grate the garlic.
   
3. Place a pot on a high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, flash-fry the pepper chunks for 2-3 minutes to lightly char but not cook through. You may have
   to do this step in batches. Remove from the pot on completion. Return the pot to a medium-high heat with the cooked chopped tomato, garlic, 200ml of water, and chopped olives. Bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until reduced and thickened. On completion, taste to test and season with salt, pepper, and sugar/xylitol (if you’d fancy). Stir the pepper chunks through.
   
4. Place a nonstick pan (with a lid) on a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Pat the chicken dry and season. When the pan is hot, fry the chicken, skin-side down, for about 5-7 minutes. Flip, pop on the lid and fry for a further 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. Keep the chicken covered so it stays warm!
   
5. Make a bed of roasted sweet potato with a dollop of cacciatore sauce. Top with the sliced chicken. Drizzle the basil pesto over. Sprinkle the poppy seeds on top. Buon appetito!