Chicken cacciatore with olives

Method

1. Remove the chicken pieces from the fridge, place in a large bowl and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of sea salt and rub it in to the chicken. Cover and set aside to come to room temperature.
2. In the meantime, peel and finely dice the garlic, onion and carrot and dice the celery. Set aside.
3. Place the oil in a lidded pan that is sufficiently large to comfortably fit all the chicken pieces and set the heat to medium high. Place the chicken pieces in the pan (in batches if the fit in the pan is a bit snug – it will shrink a bit as it cooks) and brown them on all sides, for about 6-8 minutes in total. Remove carefully with tongs and place in a covered bowl. Set aside.
4. Scrape off any pieces of chicken or skin that may have stuck to the base of the pan.
5. Add the diced garlic, onion, carrot, celery and rosemary to the pan and set the pan to medium-low. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften.
6. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, turn up the heat to high and add the wine. Cook for a few minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated, taking care that the chicken does not stick to the base.
7. Add the tin of Mutti cherry tomatoes, adding a bit of water to the tin to ensure you remove all the contents, and then the Mutti Passata.
8. Once the sauce comes to the boil, cover and reduce the heat so that it is simmering.
9. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes in total or until the chicken is cooked through, checking occasionally and stirring.
10. Add the kalamata olives and salt and pepper to taste, and remove the lid of the pan for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
11. Serve the chicken cacciatore with olives and plenty of crusty bread, mashed potatoes or polenta to soak up the sauce.