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Galletto alla cacciatora is hunter-style rooster: a young bird cut into pieces, browned well, then braised in tomato, white wine and herbs until the meat tugs away from the bone. A galletto is a young cockerel, usually 700 to 900 g. In the US it’s often sold as a spring chicken or young chicken, and either works here.
“Alla cacciatora” means hunter’s style. It’s a rustic braise built on a soffritto and whatever the pantry offers, which here means canned tomatoes, rosemary, mushrooms and black olives.
The one thing that ruins it is a hard boil. High heat tightens the breast meat and leaves the sauce greasy, so keep the surface barely trembling.
Plan on about 105 minutes including a 10-minute rest. Most of that is hands-off simmering, and the leftovers taste better the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pan handles the browning, braising and sauce reduction
- Bone-in young chicken stays moist through a long simmer
- Tastes better the next day, so it suits make-ahead meals
- Pantry staples build the sauce, with no flour or cream
Ingredient Notes
- galletto: A galletto is a young chicken of about 800 g. Ask the butcher to cut each bird into 6 pieces, or use small whole chickens of similar weight. Keep the skin on for flavor and moisture.
- dry white wine: Use a crisp bottle you’d drink, like Pinot Grigio or Vermentino. Red wine gives a deeper, darker sauce if you prefer it, and chicken stock alone works without alcohol.
- canned whole peeled tomatoes: Crush them by hand with their juice. Whole tomatoes taste sweeter and cleaner than pre-chopped ones, and they break down into a looser, more rustic sauce.
- black olives: Taggiasca olives taste mild and fruity, but Kalamata work as a budget-friendly swap. Add them at the end so they don’t turn bitter.
Galletto alla Cacciatora: Hunter-Style Braised Rooster
Ingredients
Method
- Pat the galletto pieces dry with paper towels and season them with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Dry skin browns, wet skin steams.
- Heat the olive oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch deep saute pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown half the pieces skin side down for 5 minutes, turn them, and brown 3 minutes more until deep golden. Move them to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces. They don't need to cook through.
- Pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat and lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 6 minutes, stirring, until soft and pale gold. Add the bell pepper and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, and simmer for 2 minutes until reduced by about half. Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, rosemary, sage and bay leaf. Return the chicken and any plate juices to the pan, skin side up, nestling the pieces into the sauce, and bring to a bare simmer.
- Cover the pan and lower the heat so only a few bubbles break the surface. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the thickest thigh reads 165 F / 74 C and the meat is tender. Don't let it boil, or the breast meat will tighten.
- Uncover, stir in the olives, and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove the rosemary stems, sage and bay leaf, then take the pan off the heat. Cover and rest for 10 minutes, taste for salt, and serve.
Notes
- Ask the butcher to cut each galletto into 6 pieces, with the wings left on the breast halves.
- Brown in two batches and don't move the pieces until the skin releases from the pan.
- Keep the simmer gentle, with only a few bubbles breaking the surface.
- Let the pan rest covered for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce settles.
- Taste the sauce for salt only after the olives go in, since they add their own.
Tips for Success
- Brown the pieces in two batches so the skin sears instead of steams, since crowded chicken turns pale and rubbery.
- Pour off the rendered fat after browning and leave 2 tbsp in the pan, so the finished sauce stays glossy rather than greasy.
- Crush the canned tomatoes by hand and skip the blender, which turns the sauce pink and thin.
- Keep the burner low enough that only a few bubbles break the surface, because a hard boil tightens the breast meat.
- Check the thickest thigh with an instant-read thermometer at 30 minutes and look for 165 F / 74 C before you uncover the pan.
Variations
- Swap the white wine for a dry red like Montepulciano for a darker, deeper sauce, and leave out the bell pepper.
- Add 2 chopped anchovy fillets with the garlic and a pinch of chili flakes for a salty, Calabrian-leaning version.
- Use rabbit pieces instead of galletto, which is the traditional hunter’s choice, and extend the covered simmer by about 10 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
Galletto alla cacciatora keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, sauce included. Cool it within 2 hours of cooking. The flavor deepens overnight, so it’s a good make-ahead dish.
Reheat it covered in a 28 cm / 11-inch skillet over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning the pieces once. Add a splash of stock if the sauce has tightened, and heat until it reaches 165 F / 74 C. A microwave also works in 2-minute bursts at 70 percent power, covered.
Galletto alla cacciatora freezes for up to 3 months in a flat, airtight container. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating. The mushrooms soften a little, but the meat and sauce hold up.
Serving Suggestions
Serve galletto alla cacciatora over soft polenta, which soaks up the tomato and wine sauce. Crusty bread, roasted potatoes or buttered tagliatelle work if polenta isn’t on hand. Spoon extra sauce over each plate.
A bitter green balances the sauce. Sauteed chicory, cime di rapa or escarole with garlic and a squeeze of lemon all do the job.
In a traditional Italian meal, you could toss the sauce with pasta as a primo and serve the chicken after as the secondo. Pour a Chianti Classico or Montepulciano d’Abruzzo alongside.
FAQ
How do I know when galletto alla cacciatora is done?
Galletto alla cacciatora is done when an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of a thigh reads 165 F / 74 C, usually after 30 minutes of gentle simmering. The meat should tug away from the bone with a fork. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon after the final 10 minutes uncovered.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of galletto?
Yes, use about 1.6 kg of bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks. Brown them in the same two batches and simmer for the same 30 minutes, checking that the thickest piece reaches 165 F / 74 C. Skinless or boneless pieces dry out in this braise and give a thinner sauce, so I’d avoid them.
Can I freeze galletto alla cacciatora with the sauce?
Yes, it freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container with the sauce. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently in a covered pan until it reaches 165 F / 74 C. The mushrooms soften a little after freezing, but the sauce and meat hold up.
What goes with galletto alla cacciatora besides polenta?
Crusty bread, roasted potatoes or buttered tagliatelle all catch the sauce well. Soft polenta is the classic partner because it soaks up the tomato and wine. Add a bitter green like sauteed chicory or cime di rapa to cut through the richness of the braised skin and olive oil.
Is galletto alla cacciatora gluten free?
Yes, as written. The chicken isn’t dredged in flour and the sauce thickens by reduction, not with a roux. Check your chicken stock label for added wheat, and serve it with polenta or potatoes instead of bread or pasta. Polenta is naturally gluten free.
What is the difference between chicken cacciatore and galletto alla cacciatora?
Chicken cacciatore uses the same hunter-style method with a larger chicken, often cut into 8 pieces. Galletto alla cacciatora uses a smaller, younger bird with finer-textured meat that cooks faster and stays tender. Regional versions vary. Some use red wine and no peppers, while this one uses white wine with mushrooms and olives.