Chicken and Pepper Cacciatore

Total time: 1 hr. Prep 15 min. cook time 45 min.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 red onions, cut into wedges
• 3 peppers (a mix of red, orange and yellow) deseeded and cut into chunky strips
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 lb. whole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• Small tin of cherry tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• ½ tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• ¾ cup chicken stock / broth
• pinch chilli flakes
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1tbsp chopped rosemary, to serve
• A handful of pitted olives (Kalamata, black or green)
• 1 tsp. dried parsley to sprinkle over before serving

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and peppers and sauté for 3 minutes or until slightly softened.  Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.  Place the onion and pepper mix into a large ovenproof dish, set aside.
3. Drizzle the chicken pieces with the remaining olive oil, season well with the dried herbs and salt & pepper. Place the pieces into the same frying pan.  Cook until golden-brown all over, approx. 6 min.  Remove the chicken and place on top of the peppers and onions in the ovenproof dish.
4. In a separate pan, empty the tinned cherry tomatoes, stock and chilli flakes, season well and warm through over a low heat. Pour the sauce around the chicken pieces and vegetables, then add the rosemary sprigs and bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes.
5. Remove the foil, scatter with the black olives and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Cut into a thick section of the chicken to ensure it is cooked through with no pink showing.

Serve over spaghetti.