Easy Chicken Cacciatore

I love this version of this popular dish.  Rustic chicken cacciatore with mushrooms and bell peppers in a flavourful tomato sauce. Fall apart tender chicken with all the comforting aromatics and Italian flavours.  You can make it on stovetop or in your crockpot. Serve it with crusty bread or on top of plain pasta, polenta or rice.

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs bone in, skin on, trimmed of excess fat
• Himalayan/Kosher salt and black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 2 celery ribs chopped
• ½ red bell pepper chopped
• ½ green bell pepper chopped
• 1 punnet mushrooms cleaned and sliced
• 3/4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme or Za'atar*
• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley more for later
• Pinch red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 can tomatoes, crushed 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• Black olives – optional

Note:  Whenever I cook with tomatoes I always add about 1 teaspoon of sugar.  This helps with acidity.  Za'atar - I am hooked on this Mediterranean herb/spice.  Wild thyme and sesame seeds.  I used 1 teaspoon.

Instructions

Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides and underneath the skin.
In a large pan with a lid, heat 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken, skin side down first. Cook until golden brown, then turn over to brown on the other side, about 8 minutes total. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, add the onions, celery, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, tossing regularly. Add salt, pepper, oregano, fresh thyme/Za'atar, parsley and red pepper flakes. Allow the vegetables to cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.
Add the red wine and cook for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by about ½, then add the tomatoes. Cook 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Now add the chicken pieces back to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and allow the chicken to cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Garnish with parsley.