Firehouse chicken cacciatore

Sometimes the best dishes come from the most unexpected places. When most people think of a firehouse, they think of tough men and women ready to put out fires, be the first to rush onto a car wreck or the old stereotype of coaxing a cat out of a tree.

One thing most don’t know is that food is a huge part of firefighter culture. Often on shifts where firefighters sleep at the firehouse for two nights in a row, they follow their daily training with a morning trip to the grocery store to stock up on meals they can enjoy between calls. A retired California firefighter recalled one specific meal in his many years in the service: “Chicken cacciatore is an old firehouse favorite. It was great because it would cook all day while you were running calls.”

You don’t have to be someone who saves lives to enjoy this recipe. It also fits the fast-paced lives of students with its frugality and excellent leftover potential. The recipe is extremely versatile—feel free to add olives, capers or whatever your pantry has to contribute. The beauty of cacciatore is that it is easy to make your own.

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken thighs
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 bell pepper, sliced
16 ounce jar of tomato sauce (Classico is excellent)
1 can of tomato paste
1 1/4 tablespoon of dried thyme
1 small can of sliced olives
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 to 6 cloves of garlic, crushed and diced
2 ounces of medium-bodied red wine (cabernet or merlot)
1/2 lb of button mushrooms, sliced

Method:
Brown chicken in olive oil briefly for a few minutes on each side until just barely cooked on the outside.

Combine chicken, olives, onion, tomato sauce, oregano, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, brown sugar and wine in a large slow cooker.

Bring mixture to high and let come to a boil, covered.

Stir mixture with large wooden spoon.

Cover mixture and cook on low for four to six hours. Put sliced mushrooms and bell peppers in during last hour.

Serve over cooked pasta, and top with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

 Red Cabbage Salad
A fresh, crispy salad is the perfect companion to this dish, preferably to eat after the pasta to leave you feeling less stuffed.

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
juice from one Meyer lemon
4 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Salad:
1 small head of red cabbage
4 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley
1 red bell pepper

Method:
Combine sherry vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Whisk with fork.

Chop the cabbage. Slice bell peppers, removing white pithy parts and seeds.

Finely chop parsley.

Mix cabbage, bell peppers, dressing and parsley in a large bowl.

Serves four to five people.