Cacciatore Chicken with Mushrooms

A chicken in every pot is a gift. This is a way of roasting the chicken, to get that beautiful golden skin, while at the same time forming a delicious tomato sauce incorporating the juices from the chicken pieces.
1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces (or 8-10 pieces chicken)
1 lb fresh baby Portabello mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried Italian herbs, separated
1 Tbsp fresh chives, minced

Heat oven to 375F.  Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions for about 8-10 minutes, until softened and beginning to color.  Add garlic and one teaspoon of the herbs and cook another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.  Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste and cook for about 10-15 minutes to thicken and reduce in volume a bit.  Stir in the Balsamic vinegar and pour sauce into a large oiled roasting pan. 

Nestle chicken pieces in the sauce, spray with oil, salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle on the remaining teaspoon of herbs.  Bake for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile sauté the mushrooms in a large skillet with just about a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil.  Allow the mushrooms to loose their water and brown up a bit.  Distribute the mushrooms onto the chicken and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Sprinkle the chives over the chicken and serve.

Serves 4-6.