Chicken Cacciatore with Cheese & Pea Rice

Now here's an old favourite that never goes out of style.

Mum used to make this when I was growing up and it was one of the first recipes I took from her. I make it for friends and family and have earned a lot of appreciation and satisfied bellies. Time to share it here as well, me thinks :-)

Ingredients

Pictures by ime ©

For the chicken:
Boneless chicken, cleaned & cut to size
Onions, chopped long
Olives, chopped round
Tomato purée
Italian mixed herbs
Green pepper corns in brine, crushed roughly
Vinegar
Flour, properly mixed with cold water (optional)
Salt, sugar, pepper
Olive oil

For the rice:
Rice, boiled & cooled
Peas, boiled & cooled
Grated cheese (I usually use normal cheddar)
Butter

Method

Chicken:
Heat the olive oil & sauté the onions till transparent. Add the tomato purée, vinegar herbs, salt, pepper, sugar and add some water. Boil.
In another pan, heat some oil and sauté the chicken with salt till the water cooks burns away. Then transfer to the curry to continue cooking.
Add in the peppercorns and olives. If using flour to thicken the curry, this is the time to add it to the curry.
Cook off any excess water till you are happy with the consistency.

Rice:
In a heavy bottom pan, take the butter and peas and sauté till the peas are soft.
Add in the rice, salt and a little pepper and stir well.
Sprinkle in the grated cheese while stirring, so that it spreads well. Careful not to break the rice.

Note

Mum adds mushrooms to the rice sometimes; its nice for a change. Just sauté them in the butter before the peas.
Serve hot with a cold salad or garlic bread to make this wholesome meal complete.

Buon Appetito!