Giada at Home: Family Recipes From Italy and California (17 page)
Read Giada at Home: Family Recipes From Italy and California Online
Authors: Giada de Laurentiis
Tags: #Non-Fiction, #Reference
For the chicken: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 150°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack.
Spoon the flour into a wide, shallow bowl. Crack the eggs into another wide, shallow bowl; lightly beat them. In a third wide, shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and thyme.
On a work surface, place the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, lightly pound the chicken until approximately ¼ to ½ inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly, then dip into the beaten eggs, allowing the excess egg to drip off. Coat the chicken with the bread-crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
In a large, nonstick sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Place 2 pieces of breaded chicken in the oil and cook until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Reserve the cooking juices in the pan.
For the sauce: Add the olive oil to the reserved cooking juices in the sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
To serve, arrange the chicken on a serving platter and spoon the sauce on top. Garnish with the fennel fronds.
dried vs. fresh herbs
I love freshly picked herbs. There’s nothing quite as aromatic and satisfying, and I use them as much as possible. You can put them in most any dish, and they are especially desirable in salads, pastas, pestos, and sauces. They’re also pretty as a garnish.
But dried herbs have their place, too.
Because they are picked at their peak of flavor (just before flowering), dried herbs have a highly concentrated flavor; when the moisture is extracted from the leaves, the potent herb oils remain. For braising, stewing, or other dishes with long cooking times and lots of liquid, dried herbs are a good option, as they won’t burn or discolor. They pack a more powerful punch than fresh herbs, whose flavors are subtler and tend to dissipate with long cooking.
Dried herbs have a shelf life of anywhere from six months to one year. Buy dried herbs that appear deep green, not faded. And always smell your herbs before you use them; if they smell musty or don’t smell much at all, it’s time to replace them.
In many recipes dried herbs can be substituted for fresh and vice versa. The general rule is to use three times as much fresh herb as you would use of the dried form; if substituting dried for fresh, use just one-third of the quantity called for.
Chimichurri is the A1 sauce of Argentina, and no self-respecting steak there would be served without a dose of this herby green sauce. But chimichurri also has a lot in common with an Italian salsa verde, which gave me the idea to pair it with the more delicate combo of chicken and shrimp. I add oregano for a deep earthiness, and crunchy bites of pancetta put it over the top; you’ll want to serve this sauce over everything from broiled fish fillets to sliced tomatoes or even crostini.
| chimichurri | |
| 2 | tablespoons plus 1 cup olive oil |
| 8 | ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch dice |
| 3 | garlic cloves |
| 1 | cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves |
| ½ | cup fresh oregano leaves or 2 tablespoons dried |
| ⅓ | cup red wine vinegar |
| 3 | tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| chicken and shrimp | |
| 6 | (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves |
| 1 | pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined |
| 2 | tablespoons dried oregano |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| Olive oil, for drizzling |
For the chimichurri: In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, parsley, oregano, vinegar, remaining 1 cup olive oil, and the lemon juice. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
For the chicken and shrimp: Preheat a grill pan or a gas or charcoal grill.
Season the chicken and shrimp with the dried oregano and salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Grill the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until pink and cooked through.
Slice the chicken diagonally and arrange on a large serving platter with the shrimp. Drizzle with the chimichurri and sprinkle with the pancetta.
Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
I like to make turkey meatloaf as a way to serve up a satisfying meaty entrée without resorting to red meat. I load it with sweet sun-dried tomatoes and salty bites of feta, which just barely melt as the meatloaf bakes. When you cut into the meatloaf it looks so colorful. This is one of my top picks for serving a large group because it makes a lot, is hearty, and doesn’t require any last-minute fussing. Leftovers make terrific sandwiches the next day, too.
| Vegetable oil cooking spray | |
| ½ | cup plain dried bread crumbs |
| ⅓ | cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves |
| ¼ | cup chopped garlic-and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes |
| 2 | garlic cloves, minced |
| 2 | large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten |
| ¼ | cup olive oil |
| ½ | cup crumbled feta cheese |
| 1½ | teaspoons salt |
| 1 | teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| 1 | pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat |
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 × 5-inch nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, eggs, olive oil, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan; it will fill the pan halfway. Bake until the internal temperature registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes. Use a paper towel to remove any fat that may settle on the surface of the meatloaf. Slice and serve.
Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hens with Crouton Salad
