Italia a Tavola-Wined chicken

Pollo al Vino

Wined chicken

Ingredients for 6 people

1chicken cut in 8 to 10 pieces

7oz. of pancetta  or prosciutto cut in strips

Ollive oil, 1 TbS of butter

12 Cipolline Onions

7oz of fresh mushrooms or 2oz of dried one. If you use dried mushrooms soak them in lukewarm water for 10 minutes

1 small glass of cognac

1 liter of good red wine

White flour

Garlic, Thyme, Laurel, salt, pepper

In a pot lightly stir fry the pancetta or prosciutto in olive oil; after a few minutes add he cipolline onions and the mushrooms.

Dust the chicken pieces with the flour and lightly fry them in some oil and the butter in another pan. When the chicken is golden put it with the onion and mushrooms, adjust the salt add pepper. Add the cognac and flame it; after the cognac evaporated add the wine, 2 garlic cloves chopped, a bit of Thyme, and a leaf of laurel, and when it starts boiling lower the heat and let cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

After this time take the chicken out of the pot, put it on a serving platter and store it in a warm oven. Add a little flour and a tS of butter to the wine sauce to thicken it. Pour it on the chicken and serve it accompanied with fresh Como or Ciabatta bread.  

Italia a Tavola-Fried Chicken Meat balls

Crocchette di Pollo

Fried Chicken Meat balls

Ingredients for 4 servings

7 oz. Left over chicken meat (boiled or roasted)

2oz of cooked ham

4oz of mushrooms (Portobello, shitake, crimini)

1 or 2 eggs

1 TbS of flour

2TbS of Milk

Bread Crumbs

Butter, Salt and Pepper

¼ cup of minced fresh parsley

Remove skin and bones from the left over meat add the ham and chopped it well with a cleaver or a large knife.  Mince the mushrooms and stir fry them in a bit of butter until soft (about 20 minutes)

Mix the flour with the milk and a pinch of salt to obtain a sauce of the consistency of pancake batter.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl (except the eggs) adjusting the salt and pepper add the first egg and mix very well; if the meat seems too dry, add another egg.

Form balls of the size of a large egg and roll them in the bread crumbs.  Fry them in some olive oil and serve them hot with lemon juice, and a green salad. 

A delicious way to use leftovers!