Chicken Cacciatore alla Giovanni

In its most traditional form, Chicken Cacciatore uses the dark meat of the chicken which is fattier but has more flavor. It is possible to use a combination of white and dark, or just chicken breast to keep the fat down.
The meat is cooked until it literally falls off the bone. When finished, the dish can be served alone or over either rice or pasta.

Ingredients:

• 2 8-oz skinless chicken breasts on the bone
• 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 large 28-oz can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bouquet garni (oregano, thyme, bay leaf)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In large soup pot, saute peppers in 1 tbsp olive oil over med-low heat for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes, chili flakes, bouquet garni & broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium low heat.
2. Meanwhile, cut chicken breast in half and season with a pinch S&P on both sides. Preheat medium sauté pan on high heat for 2 minutes. Once hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sear breasts until golden (3 minutes each side). Add to tomato sauce. Partially cover with lid and cook until chicken is very tender (falling apart), approx. 1 hour.
3. Just before serving add fresh lemon zest and season with S&P to taste.
4. Cooking the Cacciatore for too long tends to result in creating a pile of little pieces of chicken, which end up having to be fished out of the stew and looses the overall appearance.