Wednesday 30 October 2019

Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora)


Pollo alla Cacciatora
 Super simple and absolutely delicious....


Chicken Cacciatore Pollo alla Cacciatora - Serves 6

Ingredients: 1.2 kg  of chopped organic chicken, rosemary, sage, bay leaf, onion, garlic, celery, carrot, extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, salt, pepper, white wine, olives .

Method: Gently fry the finely chopped vegetables in extra-virgin olive oil until onion is translucent. Roast the garlic until golden and then throw it away. Brown the chicken separately in another pan. Add browned chicken, herbs, tomatoes and olives (optional) in the same pan. Add a little white wine and let it reduce. Add salt. Let chicken cook on low heat in a covered pan. Serve hot, with a fresh salad on the side.
Buon appetito!

For more information about Guido's Day cooking classes and Convivio Rome Italian Cooking Holidays, contact me on info@conviviorome.com



Wednesday 23 October 2019

Olive Harvest in the Sabine Hills, near Rome, Italy

What a great time of year to visit the Roman countryside and especially the Sabine Hills. The Sabina region, just 40 kms north of Rome is famous for it's extra virgin olive oil and with over 2,5000,000 trees squeezed into hilly terrain you can understand why it is so important. The olive farmers make sure that the quality of the olive oil is at its best by picking the olives just as they are turning from green to black in colour. This is when the anti-oxidants are at their highest. The olive producers really concentrate on quality, not quantity and the Sabine Hills are now 'alive with the sound of music' of olive pickers. It is an exciting time to visit.

Olive picking with crates of olives already picked


We, at Convivio Rome, run Half Day Olive Tours all year round, but if you happen to be in the area in late October to early December, this is the time where olives are picked. You can understand how labour intensive olive picking is, when seeing it in action.

Olive harvest in progress takes teamwork

The olives need to be picked and taken to the local 'frantoio' olive mill, within 24 hours to ensure the quality of the extra virgin olive oil remains high.

Being an eighth generation Roman, means that even as a child I was taught by my parents and grandparents the importance of the Sabine Hills for it's D.O.P. extra virgin olive oil. I remember travelling with my family through the Sabine Hills to renew our supply of the famous Sabina extra virgin olive oil, and other local produce, to take back home to Rome. 

The olive trees are full with olives ready to be picked
We operate Rome Olive tours all year round, to discover more:
Or contact me, Guido, at Convivio Rome on info@conviviorome.com