Cucina DiBella

Chicken Cacciatore

The idea to make this recipe came as a request (thanks for the suggestion, Kristie!).  Chicken Cacciatore is a traditional recipe from Naples.  Cacciatore means hunter-style and would originally have been made with some type of game bird like pheasant.  Now it is made with chicken, usually including both chicken breasts and thighs.  I chose to use only chicken breasts, so if you use thighs you will want to double the initial simmering time for the chicken.  You can also add mushrooms, which I omitted because of my great dislike of them.    

Chicken Cacciatore is really the perfect mid-winter recipe.  I heard the other day that this week is the most depressing of the year.  It's easy to see why.  There are no more half weeks at work in the near future, and those New Years resolutions are always such a downer.  After all, who really wants to cut chocolate out of their diet? Of course, that's assuming you didn't quit after day 3 like I usually do.  So, what better to brighten up those dreary January days than a recipe that looks like this with bright, beautiful colors.  I'd eat it just for that. It doesn't hurt that it is delicious, too. Here's hoping that your January isn't as gross as the weather.

 

Chicken Cacciatore

Adapted from Lidia's Italy

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

4 whole chicken breasts, fat trimmed

Salt and pepper

Flour for dredging

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 a large onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup white wine

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes with juices

1 red bell pepper cut into strips

1 yellow bell pepper cut into strips

Procedure:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Put some flour on a plate.  Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. In a large pan, heat three tablespoons vegetable oil and two tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.  Place the chicken in the pan and saute until golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Flip the chicken and brown the other side, about 2 minutes.  Remove the chicken to a plate.  
3. Add the onions to the pan and saute about 2 minutes.  Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Let the wine boil for about 2 minutes to reduce the volume.  Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Return the chicken to the pan.  Turn the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
5. In a separate pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the peppers and cook about 5 minutes.  After the chicken has simmered for 15 minutes, flip the chicken over.  Add the peppers to the chicken, cover the pan again, and let simmer for another 10 minutes.  Serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Chicken Cacciatore - 5.  Dominic was giggling the whole time he ate his. I like to think he was enjoying it and not mocking me. I think I might be wrong.

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

 

Eggplant Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is one of Ryan's favorite dishes, and it makes regular, if not frequent, appearances at our home.  So, I wasn't really sure how he would feel about me branching out and making Eggplant Parmesan instead. I know growing up I was never too thrilled when my mom made Eggplant Parm instead of Chicken Parm, despite her ability to produce either dish equally well (sorry about being a picky eater, Ma!).  However, people grow up and so do their palates.  Thankfully, this meatless creation was a hit for both me and Ryan. 

Eggplant Parmesan is often credited as coming from Naples in the Campagna region.  There are also claims that it originated in Calabria or Sicilia, showing that, like many of the dishes that I have cooked, recipes and the culture of food is extremely fluid. Regardless, eggplant is a very typical vegetable in the south, and you will see it pop up again in other recipes in the coming weeks, such as Penne alla Norma and Caponata. This recipe for Eggplant Parmesan is one that I felt out on my own since it is a pretty straightforward dish. Next time I may add a some red pepper flake to give it a little kick!  

 

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

1-2 eggplants, depending on the size

flour

2 eggs

breadcrumbs

olive oil

1 quart marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel the skin off of the eggplant and slice off the top.  Slice the eggplant lengthwise into thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick. 
3. Set up a breading station by putting out three shallow dishes or bowls.  Put some flour in one, the eggs in another (beat the eggs lightly), and the breadcrumbs in the last one.  Bread each piece of eggplant by coating it in the flour, dipping it in the egg, and then coating it in breadcrumbs.
4. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil.  Heat the oil over medium heat.  In batches, fry the eggplant until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.  As each batch finishes, put the cooked eggplant on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil.
5. Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.  Next, add a layer of eggplant.  You may need to overlap a little.  Spread 1 cup of sauce over the eggplant.  Next, sprinkle with 3/4 of a cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup of the parmesan cheese. Repeat this process two more times so that you have three layers of eggplant.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Ryan's rating of Eggplant Parmesan - 5.

Linguine with Clams - Linguine alle Vongole

You can't expect to talk about the cuisine of an area like Campagna without touching on some delicious seafood dishes.  Linguine with Clams, or Linguine alle Vongole, is a simple, straight-forward dish.  It might almost seem boring, since it is essentially just some clams cooked in oil and garlic thrown together with some pasta.  However, I have found that many of the more simplistic dishes are often the best because they allow for truly high quality ingredients to speak for themselves.  Here, the clams make or break the dish, so by getting really fresh seafood, you are able to make a delicious meal without all that much effort. While the recipe that I use says to steam the clams on their own, I prefer to steam them in the sauce that I am making so that they absorb more of the flavor.  Plus, it's fun to serve the pasta with the clams still in their shells rather than already taken out of them.

Aside from when to cook the clams, the recipe for Linguine with Clams is often the cause for debate. Some people maintain that it should be served with a white sauce of wine, garlic, parsley, and the clam's own juices.  Others contend that the dish should be served with tomatoes -generally sliced cherry tomatoes.  Rather than get involved in a argument that will never be resolved, I chose to split my dish and make half with a white sauce, and half with a tomato sauce using crushed tomatoes (since that's what I had on hand).  Which version of Linguine alle Vongole do you prefer?

Linguine with Clams/Linguine alle Vongole

Adapted from About.com:Italian Food

-Serves 4-

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds littleneck clams

1 pound linguine

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Optional - 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes. 

Process:

1. Scrub the clams to ensure that they are clean.  Place in a bowl with warm water and salt to draw out any sand left in them.  Let them sit for an hour. Remove any clams that are already open.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta to al dente.
3. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large pan.  Add the garlic and cook for just a minute so that it doesn't burn. 
4. Add the clams to the pan.  If you are using tomatoes, this is the time to add them as well.  Cover, and cook for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat until the clams are open. Remove any clams that do not open.  Toss with the pasta. 
5. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Linguine with Clams - 4 for both variations.

Margherita Pizza

Naples, Capri, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast...Campagna is arguably one of the most exotic and interesting regions in Italy. It is one of the regions that I didn't get a chance to visit while in Italy, and so will likely be one of my first stops when I get back! 

As we all know, one of the quintessential Italian foods is pizza. Naples and the region of Campagna are the epicenter of the pizza making culture within "the boot." Possibly the most classic pizza from the Naples area is the Margherita pizza. This pizza was named after Queen Margherita, who was married to King Umberto I, who reigned in the late 1800's. The toppings involve a layer of sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes and slices of fresh mozzarella and basil leaves scattered about and cooked to perfection.  However, I found that in many other area of Italy, the term Margherita was used to describe plain cheese pizza, even if it lacked basil leaves or if it traded in the haphazard placement of slices of mozzarella for a single, full covering of cheese.

 

Margherita Pizza

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse, Food Network

-Makes 1 pizza-

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/2 to 1 garlic clove, chopped

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into slices 

10-12 fresh basil leaves

Process:

1. Begin by making the dough.  In a large bowl, combine the yeast, water, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt.  Stir well for 5 minutes. 
2. Add half of the flour to the mixture. Combine thoroughly.  Add the remaining flour, except for 1/2 a cup.  Mix well with hands.
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed if the dough is sticky. 
4. When the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, put into a lightly oiled bowl.  Turn it over so that it is covered in oil.  Place a moist towel over the dough and set aside until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.  Transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let sit 15 minutes. *
5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
6. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Spread it out on a pizza tray or stone in the desired shape. 
7. Put the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and garlic in a food processor.  Grind until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the sauce over the pizza dough. 
8. Scatter the mozzarella over the sauce.  Add the basil to the pizza as well. 
9. Bake for about 8 minutes.

* If you like thinner crust, or would like a smaller pizza, you can make 2 pizza crusts by dividing the dough into two balls before transferring to a baking sheet.  Let sit for 15 minutes and then form as directed.

Ryan's rating of Margherita Pizza - 5.