Pollo di Parmigiana - Parmesan Chicken

I do not know how Italian this dish is, though it certainly has Italian influences. It is one of our most favorite quick and easy to prepare chicken entrees. It is delicious enough to serve to guests, which we have done as well.

Parmesan Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil

Pound the chicken between sheets of wax paper with a mallet or rolling pin until they are 1/4-inch thick.Combine the flour and salt and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip in the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 to 3 chicken breasts on medium to medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze on top if desired.

Note You can keep the chicken breasts warm for about 15 minutes on a sheet pan in a 200-degree oven.

Brodo di Pollo Casalingo - Homemade Chicken Broth

Poultry and meat broths are essential to cooking many Italian dishes such as risotto, sauces, soups, stews and braised dishes. A favorite cold weather dish in this household is simply brodo with rice or pastini. Making an Italian broth consists of simple ingredients and preparation - meat and scraps from chicken, beef, veal or capon, vegetables, covering with water and simmering slowly on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Skimming off the foamy impurities is key to the wonderful flavor.

In a large stock pot or pot put one 3 to 4 pound whole chicken (key for a rich flavorful brodo), around 3 pounds of bones and wings (you can add beef or beef or veal bones and scarps as well, though I tend to use only poultry when making Brodo di Pollo. Toss in a couple of carrots cut into chunks, a couple of celery stalks cut into chunks, a large onion cut into quarters (feel free to toss in some leeks as well though not traditional), and 2 ripe tomatoes. (If you do not have fresh tomatoes, use 2 whole canned tomatoes.

Cover with cold water by two to three inches, place lid on pot askew and bring to a gentle boil by using medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low and skim the foamy impurities from the top of the surface of water. Use a slotted spoon or a skimmer. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the whole chicken and set aside. (This is wonderful used for a simple Italian boiled meat dinner. Serve the meat slices with a simple Italian salsa Verde, Mostarda de Cremona or a spicy mustard. The meat can also be used in other dishes not Italian such as enchilada's, served over rice or potatoes with gravy and salads. The uses are endless.) Continue to simmer for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Do not salt until the last few minutes of cooking.

Strain broth into bowl/s and place in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day remove the fat from the surface. This gives you basically fat-free broth that is ready to use or freeze.

To Make Brodo di Carne Casalinga - Homemade Beef Broth - Use 4 to 5 pounds of bones and meat scraps from beef and veal. Can also add some chicken meat and scraps. Use the same amounts of vegetables except for tomato, use 1 whole canned otmato or one fresh, and water as in Chicken Broth above and same preparation.

To Make Brodo Vegetale - Vegetable Broth - Use 2 pounds assorted fresh vegetables cut in large pieces, such as leeks, onions, zucchini, peas, asparagus, celery, carrots, spinach and Swiss Chard. Be sure to peel, shell and wash vegetables. Add enough water in a medium pot to cover by 2 to 3 inches. Cook as instructed above bringing to boil, lowering heat to low simmer and skimming foam that comes to the surface. Simmer for about 1 hour. Season with salt; strain, Strain again using a cheesecloth or paper towel lined strainer. Refrigerate for a few days if using soon, or freeze.

Pollo al Forno con Patatine, Pancetta, e Aglione - Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, Pancetta and Herbs

You must believe at this point that all we eat is rich Italian dishes in this house, but that is far from the truth. We eat a lot of chicken usually prepared very low-fat using skinless boneless breasts. However we do adore an outstanding roasted chicken once in a while. To achieve the best results the key is to roast at a high temperature which gives the chicken a crispy skin and a moist meat. The following preparation is a typical dish of Bologna's countryside trattorie that would still be serving traditional dishes of the area. This type of dish brings back memories of my grandmothers cooking.

Cut 1 large (5 to 6 pounds) chicken into 8 serving pieces. Wash and dry with paper towels and place the pieces in a large bowl and add 1/3 cup olive oil (or up to 1/2 per personal taste). In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary, 2 tablespoons thyme leaves (traditional you would use 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, however we are not that crazy about the flavor of sage in this household) and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Add this mixture called aglione in Italian, which is a mixture of chopped herbs with salt to the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Mix everything well. I find it easiest to use my hands. Cover and refrigerate for a few house. Remove the chicken from the fridge 1/2 hour before roasting.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. when the oven is good and hot, peel 3 large potatoes ( I use red or Idaho mostly) and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Add them to the boil with the chicken and mix well to coat with the herb mixture. Transfer the chicken, potatoes and any herbs and oil left at the bottom of the bowl into a jelly roll pan. This will give you the best browning capability. Place on the middle rack of the oven and roast for about 40 minutes. At this point the chicken and potatoes should be richly browned and crisp, and should stick a bit to the bottom of the pan.

Ass 2 to 3 ounces of pancetta thickly sliced and diced to the pan and stir in. Roast another 3 to 5 minutes longer. Note: To keep aglione - chop all the herbs with the garlic and salt and place in a small airtight container or jar. Be sure to cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

While I am going on about roasting chicken, I will share another favorite version in our house. It isn't Italian however it is incredibly simple and delicious. It produces aromatic and flavorful pan juices which makes a spectacular tasting gravy.

1 - 5 pound whole chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 Meyer lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out and remove any excess fat and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of the lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings tips under the body of the chicken. Scatter the onion slices around the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to rest and prepare gravy if you so wish.

Note: I also add thick slices of potato along with the onions at times. You can use rosemary in place of the thyme, or use a combination of both. When making gravy, I prefer the taste of the thyme alone.

Polla alla Cacciatora Bolognese - Chicken Hunter-Style Bologna

There are many versions of Cacciatore. I think every Italian-Amercian cook has their way of cooking this chicken dish. I have my own version, and over the years have also tried different ways to cook this dish. This version has pancetta and marsala as part of the ingredients.

To make the cacciatore; Cut a 4 to 5 pound chicken into 8 serving pieces, coat generously with flour, shaking of excess. Heat olive oil (3 to 4 tablespoons) in a large skillet over high heat; add the chicken and cook until golden on all sides. Don;t crowd the chicken pieces in the pan. Cook in two batches if necessary. Remove chicken pieces to a plate. Turn the heat down to medium and add 1 medium onion finely minced, 3 ounces of pancetta, chopped, 3 garlic cloves minced and 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary; cook until it begins to color.

Return the chicken to the pan, then turn heat to high and add 1 cup dry Marsala. Cook and stir until the wine is almost reduced then add 3 cups strained canned tomatoes and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover with lid askew, lower heat to low and cook slowly, turning the chicken a few times while cooking, for 1an hour or so. Serve hot with soft or grilled polenta, crusty bread or my husbands favorite way with steamed rice.

Pollo alla Cacciatora Milanese - Chicken Hunter-Style from Milan

I have read that in the trattorie of Milan, rabbit, pheasant, lamb or chicken are often cooked alla Cacciatore. This preparation implies a method of cooking that gives the dish a rustic and robust quality. In Milan the key ingredients to this simple dish is dried porcini mushrooms whose woodsy flavor enriches the depth of flavor in this slowly cooked dish. Serve with soft, grilled or roasted polenta. The best part is the leftover sauce, which makes a delicious second meal tossed with penne, rigatoni or any pasta type you enjoy. A Note: Traditonally Italian cooks are light on the tomatoes. In this dish because of making a pasta sauce as well for a second meal, I like to use the canned crushed tomatoes in puree over whole canned Italian tomatoes that have been put through a food mill to puree and remove seeds which is more tradtional in most Italian recipes using can tomatoes. I like the thicker texture the crushed tomatoes in puree gives the sauce.

Ingredients:
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups lukewarm water for 20 minutes
1/4 cup EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
2 cups flour
1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds) cut into pieces, washed and dried with paper towels
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, minced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1 cup dry white wine (I usually use Gaetano D'Aquino Delle Venezie 2007, a reasonably priced Pinot Grigio with a dry flavor and slightly bitter end)
1 (28 oz) can Crushed tomatoes in puree (I prefer Muir Glen brand)


Drain the mushrooms reserving the soaking liquid. Rinse the mushrooms well under cold running water, then chop coarsely. Line a strainer with a few layers of paper towels and strain the soaking liquid into a bowl to get rid of the sandy deposits. Set aside.

In a large deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Flour the chicken pieces lightly and add to the skillet skin side down. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, turning only once, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Discard the oil and add the butter, returning the skillet to medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the onion, garlic, rosemary and parsley. Cooking, stirring until the onion is lightly golden and soft, perhaps 6 minutes.

Add the porcini and wine, stirring with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pan, until the wine is almost evaporated.

Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of the porcini liquid, then lightly season with salt and pepper.

As soon as the sauce begins to bubble, return the chicken to the skillet, reduce heat to low, and partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened nicely, about 40 to 50 minutes. If needed, add a bit more porcini liquid if sauce thickens too much. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot.

This is even better if you allow the dish to rest for about an hour before serving. The flavors become more pronounced.

The leftover sauce served the following evening over penne. My heart sang when I ate both the cacciatore and the pasta. My Nana used to use porcini mushrooms and rosemary in many of her dishes, and the aroma of this dish brought me back to Nana's kitchen all those years ago and the taste brought tears to my eyes. Eccellente!