If you’ve ever travelled through northern Portugal in winter, you’ll know the kind of food that warms you from the inside out. Rancho à Portuguesa is one of those dishes — rustic, rich, and deeply comforting.

Originating from the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region — literally “behind the mountains” — this traditional casserole brings together slow-cooked meats, chouriço, chickpeas, and pasta in a smoky paprika sauce. It’s the perfect dish to share with family and friends on a chilly day, ideally with a hearty red wine and a crusty loaf of bread.

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The word cacciatore is the Italian word for hunter. Chicken cacciatore got its name from the rustic, “hunter-style” way this dish is prepared. Numerous versions exists all over Italy, from the southern region using red wine as opposed to the northern region which tend to use white wine instead. To compliment the rustic nature of this dish, we served it with sourdough bread with molasses and sunflower seeds.

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I got the inspiration for this dish by this Spanish recipe by Lauren Aloise, but I had to make quite a bit of changes as we are not so fortunate in South Africa to always get the produce our counterparts get in Europe – like Iberian pork cheeks for example. I also took the starch out of the dish and made a separate starchy dish to go with the main course.

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