A Chicken Worthy of the Hunt

Chicken is the most popular entree in home cooking, which means the quest for new chicken recipes never ends.

Consider this chicken dinner for six, perfect for an informal supper with family or friends. The focus is a chicken casserole--hunter’s chicken, Mediterranean style--that is robust and fresh-tasting yet low in fat because the chicken is cooked without the skin. Serve the chicken with capellini tossed with fresh herbs. Add aioli bread and maybe a mixed green salad and you have a perfect meal. A bowl of fruit or poached pears would suffice for dessert.

Preparing chicken without the skin for a casserole is much easier than you think. Remove the skin from the cut-up chickens by using a paper towel to grab the skin and yank it off. Use kitchen shears to trim away any visible fat and the backbone. Wash the chicken and blot it dry with paper towels.

Generously season the chicken because it’s very bland without the skin. Brown the chicken in a large nonstick skillet, starting with two teaspoons of oil. Let the oil get very hot before adding the pieces. Do not crowd them. Turn the chicken only when the underside is browned. Set this chicken aside. If the flour has burned in the skillet, wipe it out with paper towels. Brown another batch of chicken in two teaspoons of oil. The rest is up to the sauce, which also must be full-flavored to make the casserole a success.

HUNTER’S CHICKEN, MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE

2 (3-pound) frying chickens

1/2 cup flour

1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

1 1/4 teaspoons marjoram

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, cut in medium dice, about 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 pound medium mushrooms, stems trimmed, quartered, about 3 cups

12 kalamata olives, flesh removed in 3 slabs, about 1/2 cup

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced fresh cut tomatoes in juice

1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Pinch sugar

1/4 to 3/4 cup water, as needed

This chicken dish is much better cooked a day ahead and reheated.

Remove skin from chicken, rinse and blot dry with paper towels, then cut chicken into pieces, clipping wings and removing backbone.

Put flour, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste in large plastic food bag. Shake to combine. Add chicken pieces in 3 batches. Shake to coat. Shake off and reserve excess flour.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, tip skillet to coat bottom of pan. Add chicken pieces without crowding. Brown on both sides, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to reserved baking pan. If flour has burned in skillet, use paper towels to wipe it out. Repeat with remaining chicken in 2 more batches. Arrange chicken pieces in single layer in shallow baking dish, just large enough to hold chicken. Set aside.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in same skillet. When hot, add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle reserved excess flour over mixture. Stir well. Add olives, tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, sugar and 1/4 cup water. Stir well and bring to boil. Ladle contents of skillet over chicken in baking pan. Cover with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees on rack placed in lower third of oven until just fork tender (or barely tender if reheating), about 1 hour. Check chicken after 40 minutes; if pan is dry, add water as needed. Gently shake pan to mix in water. Serve hot.

Can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered airtight and refrigerated (or frozen up to 2 months). Bring to room temperature before reheating. To reheat, bake, covered, at 350 degrees until bubbling, 45 to 60 minutes, adding more water as needed. Adjust seasoning.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

781 calories; 1086 mg sodium; 164 mg cholesterol; 57 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 45 grams protein; 1.35 grams fiber.

CAPELLINI WITH FRESH HERBS

12 ounces capellini

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1/3 cup snipped fresh chives

1/3 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons grated imported Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

This simple pasta side dish with the bite of fresh marjoram works perfectly with the hunter’s chicken. Using some of the pasta water to moisten the pasta decreases the amount of fat used.

Cook capellini in salted water according to package direction. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Put marjoram, chives, parsley and butter in large shallow serving bowl. Add drained, hot pasta. Toss well until combined, adding reserved pasta liquid as needed to moisten pasta. Add 3 tablespoons grated cheese. Toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

275 calories; 166 mg sodium; 18 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.32 gram fiber.

AIOLI BREAD

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 teaspoons pressed garlic

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 crusty medium baguettes, split lengthwise

Aioli is a strongly flavored garlic mayonnaise from the Provence region of southern France; it makes a great spread on bread.

Combine mayonnaise, olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste in small bowl.

Spread each baguette half with mixture, dividing evenly, and place in single layer, cut side up, on baking sheet.

Bake bread at 350 degrees on center rack of oven until just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. When just cool enough to handle, cut each half into 4 pieces. Serve hot.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about:

202 calories; 402 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.87 gram fiber.