Chicken Cacciatore with Gut Repairing Bone Broth

By Dr. Mindy Pelz In Collaboration With Chef Jeff

MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS

This is an amino acid party! If you want to build muscle, this is your go-to recipe. It’s got bone broth to repair your gut, olives to provide a healthy dose of polyphenols, and a vast array of meats to give you all the amino acids you need to make hormones.

MARINADE

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1 1⁄2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 ½  teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 3⁄4 pounds)

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces pancetta or prosciutto, cut into medium dice

1 medium white, yellow, or red onion, peeled and cut into medium chunks (avoid sweeter Vidalia or Maui onions because of their supercharged sugar content)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into medium chunks

3 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 1⁄2 pound small cremini or button mushrooms, rinsed and halved

1⁄4 cup pitted olives, such as Spanish Queen, Gaeta, or Kalamata

2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon coconut sugar

1⁄2 cup sherry (any inexpensive bottle from the liquor aisle is fine)

One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes 

1⁄2 cup chicken bone broth or water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1⁄2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

1⁄2 lemon, cut in half

TO MAKE THE MARINADE 

Combine 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper, the Italian seasoning, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and whisk until the mixture forms a paste. Taste the marinade and season as desired. Spread the marinade all over the chicken thighs. Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.

TO MAKE THE CHICKEN CACCIATORE 

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare a plate for the cooked chicken. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the olive oil to the pot and place the chicken thighs skin-side down. Cook until a crust forms on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn over the chicken thighs and repeat on the other side, cooking for about 3 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to the plate.

Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Decrease the heat to medium. Add the pancetta, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, until the onions start to become translucent and the vegetables release some liquid, about 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms, olives, and capers, and continue cooking until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the coconut sugar and stir to combine. Cook until the vegetables wilt and the onions brown a little, about 2 minutes. Add the sherry and continue cooking until it reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Cut the canned tomatoes into large pieces with a pair of scissors, or crush them into the pot with your hands. Add the tomatoes and bone broth to the vegetables and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.

Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired, keeping in mind that the sauce will reduce a little more and concentrate the flavors.

Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce and cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 160℉, about 30 minutes. (The chicken will reach the recommended 165℉ with residual heat.)

To serve, transfer the vegetables and sauce to a shallow bowl and top with the chicken. Spoon extra sauce over the chicken, and then sprinkle with the parsley and squeeze some lemon over the top.