Good Food Day: pollo e prosciutto
Yesterday was a Sumptuous Food Day.
I made French toast for my darling for brunch.
Then, for dinner with same and my wieder aufgetauchte friend Sarah, a crisp, fresh salad and the remains of my Dad's excellent matzah-ball soup, seasoned with "all-purpose seasoning" soy sauce and sesame oil. Big, delicious chocolate-covered macaroons from Au Bon Pain for dessert.
Oh, and I made a succulent, savory, juicy, artery-terrorizing, and EASY pollo e prosciutto with one of my parents' tractor-range chickens.
Pollo e Prosciutto di Giacoppo
(adapted from ItalianMade.com, which in turn adapts from Giuliano Bugialli's Classic Techniques of Italian Cooking (Simon & Schuster, 1982))
1 chicken, about 2 pounds [in 8 pieces]
3 tablespoons sweet [i.e. unsalted] butter
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 slices prosciutto [or 7 and cut one into two smaller pieces to wrap the wings]
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or the microwave.
2. Add the herbs, salt, and pepper to the melted butter. Mix very well.
3. Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on the table and brush the shiny side with oil.
4. Coat each piece of chicken with the herb-butter mixture. (You can use a brush or dredge the chicken and work it in with your fingers.)
5. Wrap each piece in a slice of prosciutto, then place the chicken pieces on the foil close together and wrap completely with foil. Place the package in a casserole or ovenproof pan (I used a cast-iron skillet) and cover.
6. Place the casserole in a cold oven and turn the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes without removing the cover. Remove from oven and let stand for five minutes. Use scissors to cut from the center of the foil outward in four directions, making a cross. Roll back the aluminum foil, remove the pieces, and serve immediately.
Serves 3 to 4
One thing that bugged me about the original recipe: It had a cooking time of 1hr 45min. It started smelling and sounding good around the half-hour mark, so I googled for similar recipes. Sure 'nuff, they all called for 20-30min (and at lower temperatures, too!). Unfortunately, I had planned on a 2-hr prep time, so I just turned the oven off at the half-hour mark and let it stay warm (and probably cook a little longer) in the oven for the hour until dinner. It turned out great, but I think that serving after 1/2-hr would have made it even better and juicier.
At any rate, it's DELICIOUS. Make it for your very best friends (or people whom you want to become your very best friends)!
I made French toast for my darling for brunch.
Then, for dinner with same and my wieder aufgetauchte friend Sarah, a crisp, fresh salad and the remains of my Dad's excellent matzah-ball soup, seasoned with "all-purpose seasoning" soy sauce and sesame oil. Big, delicious chocolate-covered macaroons from Au Bon Pain for dessert.
Oh, and I made a succulent, savory, juicy, artery-terrorizing, and EASY pollo e prosciutto with one of my parents' tractor-range chickens.
Pollo e Prosciutto di Giacoppo
(adapted from ItalianMade.com, which in turn adapts from Giuliano Bugialli's Classic Techniques of Italian Cooking (Simon & Schuster, 1982))
1 chicken, about 2 pounds [in 8 pieces]
3 tablespoons sweet [i.e. unsalted] butter
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 slices prosciutto [or 7 and cut one into two smaller pieces to wrap the wings]
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or the microwave.
2. Add the herbs, salt, and pepper to the melted butter. Mix very well.
3. Lay a large sheet of aluminum foil on the table and brush the shiny side with oil.
4. Coat each piece of chicken with the herb-butter mixture. (You can use a brush or dredge the chicken and work it in with your fingers.)
5. Wrap each piece in a slice of prosciutto, then place the chicken pieces on the foil close together and wrap completely with foil. Place the package in a casserole or ovenproof pan (I used a cast-iron skillet) and cover.
6. Place the casserole in a cold oven and turn the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes without removing the cover. Remove from oven and let stand for five minutes. Use scissors to cut from the center of the foil outward in four directions, making a cross. Roll back the aluminum foil, remove the pieces, and serve immediately.
Serves 3 to 4
One thing that bugged me about the original recipe: It had a cooking time of 1hr 45min. It started smelling and sounding good around the half-hour mark, so I googled for similar recipes. Sure 'nuff, they all called for 20-30min (and at lower temperatures, too!). Unfortunately, I had planned on a 2-hr prep time, so I just turned the oven off at the half-hour mark and let it stay warm (and probably cook a little longer) in the oven for the hour until dinner. It turned out great, but I think that serving after 1/2-hr would have made it even better and juicier.
At any rate, it's DELICIOUS. Make it for your very best friends (or people whom you want to become your very best friends)!