"Party Cookbook" (an Australian publication) - Chicken Cacciatora

Date I made this recipe:  October 29, 2017

Party Cookbook by cookery editors Anne Marshall and Elizabeth Sewell

Published by Paul Hamlyn New South Wales (New South Wales is a “state” or section of Australia)

© 1971

Purchased at Bloomington (MN) Crime Prevention Association (BCPA) Annual Sale

Recipe:  Chicken Cacciatora – p. 19

A few weeks ago, I needed to shift a lot of my cookbooks around to make way for ducklings new acquisitions.  I’m going to call this The Great Cookbook Migration 2017.

Let me just say that this was no easy feat.  Not only did I have to deal with years of accumulated dust (I try but you know…), but I had to deal with falling books (jeez, you nudge it just a little) and spatial relations, i.e. figuring out which books fit which way on my shelves.

It didn’t take me long before I had more books on the floor than I did on shelves as I kept arranging and rearranging my collection.  This book managed to slide off the top of its stack to land at my feet in a clear attempt to get me to look at it (Yes, books are sneaky that way), and so I did.

Although I did not have a party planned, it was close enough to Halloween for me to think about Halloween parties, past and present, and so why not, right?  Not that this is an official Halloween recipe because as I’ve said before, I don’t really “do” Halloween, but a party cookbook in the hand is better than none at all.

This book did a pretty good job of hitting a lot of party themes. Here’s the Table of Contents.  Do note that this book was published in Australia which explains some of the British and Maori (New Zealand) party themes.

• Brunch Party (Brunch is a “party?”  Huh.  I always thought brunch was just…brunch!)
• Morning Coffee Party
• Luncheon Party
• Kitchen Tea (given for the Bride-to-be!)
• Christening Tea
• Children’s Birthday Party
• Open House Party
• Cocktail Party
• Dinner Parties
• Formal Dinner Party
• Casserole Dinner Party
• The Man Takes Over [Dinner Party]
• Buffet Dinner Parties
• Summer Buffet Dinner Parties
• Winter Buffet Dinner Parties
• After Theater Party
• Patio Party
• Barbecue
• Haangi (a Maori BBQ pit)
• Wine and Cheese Party

 And here’s some sample recipes and again, do note that the cookbook features food from Australia which was once a British colony which is to say, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

• ·       Brunch Party – “Lamb Cutlets with Tomatoes;” “Liver with Onions and Bacon;” “Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes,” and “Savoury Mince on Toast.”  This looks absolutely nothing like any brunch menu I’ve ever seen, and I cannot say it appeals.  Cannot.
• ·       Morning Coffee Party – “Cheese Roughs” and “Gingerbread.”
• ·       Luncheon Party – “Chicken Cacciatora;” “Malakoff” (a cookie and cream concoction)
• ·       Kitchen Tea – A “kitchen tea” is a tea given for a bride-to-be, and the menu includes “Fish Patties” and “Savoury Eggs.”  Ew.  This is what they serve at a bridal shower? That said, this menu also includes “Chocolate Rum Truffles” which is more than acceptable to moi.
• ·       Christening Tea – “Ham and Shrimp Puffs,” “Ribbon Sandwiches,” and “Christening Cake.”
• ·       Children’s Birthday Party – “Sausage Rolls;” “White Mice in Jelly” (hmmm), and “Skippy Birthday Cake.” “Skippy” is a kangaroo and this cake is shaped like one. I have photo proof! I think I need this, children’s birthday or no children’s birthday!
• ·       Open House Party – This two-page “chapter” does not contain recipes, just dialog about how to throw a large open house party.  Been there, done that.
• ·       Cocktail Party – Once again, these four pages cover the basics of Hors d’Oeuvres which is to say, “breads and spreads.”  They give you a list of “ideas” so you can build your own but no recipes to follow.
• ·       Dinner Parties – This category has three parts:  Formal Dinner Parties (“Cauliflower Hollandaise,” “Duckling with Olives,” and “Crepe Suzettes”), Casserole Parties, and The Man Takes Over dinner parties.  As to Casserole Parties, on what planet is “Salmon with Cucumber Sauce” considered a casserole?  I need to know this.  I need to know this right now! I ask the same question about the recipe for “Roulades” which are basically meat rolls.  All I’ll say is that these Aussies have odd ideas about casseroles.  Finally, the very title of this last section – The Man Takes Over – made me laugh but then made me mad.  How sexist! Like what, the woman couldn’t deal with the situation? Naturally, “Minute Steaks” is the key recipe in this section because you know, men are born with a gene that tells them how to grill steaks (and only steaks) and women aren’t.
• ·       Buffet Dinner Parties – This category includes “Summer Buffet Dinner Parties” and “Winter Buffet Dinner Parties.”  Well that works, doesn’t it?  The recipes also tend to work although my eyebrow raised a bit at the recipe for “Lima Bean and Cauliflower Salad” (summer) and “Prawns in Garlic and Anchovy Sauce” (winter) only because most people would never eat anchovies, or a sauce made from anchovies.  I am not one of those people, but that’s another matter for another day.
• ·       After Theatre (not to be confused with “Theater) Party – Oh for crying out loud folks, never ever have I thought to eat these awful concoctions after an evening at the theater…or ever: “Fandango Sardines,” “Satanic Sardines,” or this abomination – “Osborne Oysters” made with, I kid you not, oysters, bananas, grated Swiss cheese and lemon juice. Blink.  Blink.  Blink. 
• ·       Patio Party – Le sigh. We were doing great with recipes for kebabs, risotto and more, and then it all went to hell in a handbasket with this recipe, “Greek Marrow Salad.” I can’t even….
• ·       The Barbecue, Haangi and Wine and Cheese Chapters don’t really contain recipes as much as they do instructions.

 You know what, the above was a lot of dialog about a book that is a mere 121 pages long, but I would not be me if I didn’t comment about the recipes.  Once again, let me repeat that I continue to be stymied by “British” food, or rather, what members of the British empire consider food.  Edible food.  Maybe this was the real reason the Revolutionary War was fought?  “You Brits take your horrible excuse for food and get the hell outta here!”

Out of the wreckage though, I selected a “winner, winner, chicken dinner” – Chicken Cacciatora. (By the way, I don’t think I ever heard the “winner, winner, chicken dinner” phrase until I moved here but maybe people everywhere say that?  That said, only in Minnesota, and I do mean only in Minnesota, is a casserole referred to as a “hotdish,” and only in Minnesota do the natives say [of a child’s game) “It’s Duck, Duck, Grey Duck” instead of “Duck, Duck, Goose.”)

If you read last week’s blog post highlighting another chicken dish I made, then you’ll know about my incident with the chicken I purchased at Kowalski’s (grocery store).  I’m still rather poleaxed by that spectacular service.

I’m here to tell you though, that Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) is no slouch in the service department, either.  Since Kowalski’s didn’t have what I was looking for, I went to Whole Foods to purchase just a couple of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.  Normally, that chicken is on display in the meat department, but this trip, they were out.

“No worries,” said the lady behind the meat counter.  She walked me over to the pre-packed chicken cooler and said that if I saw what I’d like, she’d be happy to split up a package(s) so that I got exactly what I wanted and also give it to me at the meat counter price which is $1.00 less than the packaged product.  Sold!

The recipe is really easy and can be made on the stovetop if you want (and I wanted) instead of the oven.  The only thing I changed was to add the tomato juice to the dish instead of draining it as directed as you won’t have enough liquid to cook if you do it otherwise.  Also?  “Green capsicum” “translated” is green pepper.  Oh, those Aussies!

Chicken Cacciatora – serves 6

2 x 2 ½ pound roasting chickens (Ann’s Note:  If indeed she meant that I should purchase two 2.5 pounds of roasting chicken, that is a hell of a lot of chicken to feed six people, don’t you think?  I did!  Then I wondered if she meant to buy 2 to 2.5 pounds of chicken but the fact that she said chickens (plural), instead of chicken (singular) made me think she really did want that much chicken.  That’s almost a pound of chicken per person, folks – whoa!) 

½ cup plain flour

Pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ounce butter

1 green capsicum (pepper), diced

1 white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 carrot, diced

3 cups tomatoes, skinned (tinned tomatoes may be used)

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons sherry

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

6 black olives, and 6 green olives, for garnish

Cut chicken into serving pieces.  (Ann’s Note:  Once upon a time, my dad did this but that was once upon a time. These days, pre-cut chicken is the way to go but by all means, if you have mad butchering skills, have at it!).  Wipe and dip chicken pieces into seasoned flour.  Heat oil and butter in a heavy-based frying pan and fry chicken until golden brown on all sides.  Remove chicken from pan and keep warm in a large heavy-based saucepan or flameproof casserole.

Fry green pepper, onion, garlic and carrot in frying pan, adding a little extra oil if necessary.  Cook until onion is soft and golden.  Add tomatoes.  If tinned tomatoes are used, drain liquid off first.  (Ann’s Note:  I don’t recommend that you drain the tomatoes because your dish will be dry and may burn.  I added the liquid and am glad I did.)  Add bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, simmer a few minutes, the pour sauce over chicken pieces.  Add sherry.  Cover and simmer gently on top of stove or cook in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.  Garnish chicken with chopped parsley and spiral cut olives.  Served with boiled noodles.