Chicken Canzanese, Toasted Fennel/Shallot Brown Rice
Originally a peasant dish (perhaps of stewing hen or rooster) from the Abruzzo region in Italy, Americans were likely first introduced to this classic in a 1969 article from the New York Times.
My riff on America’s Test Kitchen’s modern adaptation (see video below) uses locally pastured chicken thighs, prosciutto, garlic, fresh herbs, chicken stock and white wine, all served over fennel-scented brown rice with toasted shallots and flat-leaf parsley..
Pollo Canzanese (serves 2-4)
4 large skin-on, bone-in, pastured chicken breasts
2 ounces prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2-3 cloves garlic, slivered (not minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons sprouted wheat or spelt flour
1-1/4 cups dry white wine
3/4 cup homemade chicken stock
2 bay leaves (fresh preferred)
2 sprigs rosemary, stripped, leaves chopped (reserve the stems)
8 leaves fresh sage
3 whole cloves
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cultured butter, cold
freshly-cracked black pepper
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Refrigerate, uncovered 4 hours or overnight to help ensure a crispy skin when cooked.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add prosciutto and sauté until lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the prosciutto and garlic to a side dish.
Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, season the chicken with pepper and place in the hot oil skin-side down. Allow the chicken to cook without moving until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Turn the chicken over cook another 5 minutes, again without moving. Transfer the chicken to a side dish.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of olive oil/fat, reserving the remainder for the rice.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk continuously to form a light roux, about 1 minute.
De-glaze the pan with the wine, taking care to scrape up all the brown bits (the fond) from the bottom.
Add the cooked prosciutto and garlic back into the pan along with the bay leaves, sage, cloves, rosemary stems (without leaves) and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
Add the chicken to the pan, making sure that the volume of liquid is sufficient to rise to a point just below the crisp chicken skin. Pour a little liquid off if there’s too much, or add a little stock if there isn’t enough.
Place the uncovered pan into a 325 degree oven and cook until the chicken is fork tender, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the rice..
1 cup germinated brown rice, rinsed
2-1/4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon reserved oil/fat
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, cracked
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
Toast the fennel in a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the reserved oil/fat and shallots and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Add the rice and stir to coat.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until done, about 45 minutes.
To Finish and Serve
Remove the pan with the chicken from the oven. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil.
Working quickly, put the chicken pan on the burner over medium-high heat. Pick out and discard the cloves, sage, bay and rosemary stems.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, chopped rosemary leaves, parsley and butter and whisk until smooth.
Line a platter with the rice and ladle the sauce over the rice. Place the cooked chicken on top of the rice, drizzle with a little of the sauce and serve piping hot.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Here’s that video..
Like this:
Oyster and Andouille Gumbo
While “there are as many gumbo recipes as there are cooks”, one of my favorite preparations includes freshly-shucked gulf oysters and hand-made andouille sausage from LaPlace, Louisiana along with the usual suspects of chocolate-brown roux cooked down with onions, garlic, green pepper and celery. There’s some fresh okra and tomato in there, with plenty of cayenne, fresh thyme and oregano as well.
I like to use sprouted brown rice instead of the traditional white rice, adding in the salty-sea liquor from the oysters in place of some of the water..
Happy Fat Tuesday!
Like this:
Vegan Rajmah with Green Tea-Germinated Brown Rice
Dark red kidney beans in a curry of fresh ginger, onions, garlic, tomatoes and chilies with toasted cumin and coriander, turmeric and cilantro, served over a bed of green tea-germinated brown rice..
Germinated brown rice is approximately 10-20 times higher in protein and amino acids (including GABA) than white rice. Soaking the rice in freshly-brewed green tea adds a pleasing flavor and increases the medicinal value. It also helps to prevent the rice from spoiling during its 18-24 hour germination period.
For more information about germinated brown rice, please see this excellent article at Kitchen Stewardship
Like this:
Glazed Chicken Shichimi, Black Rice Noodles
Locally pastured chicken breasts are skinned and boned, then dusted in rice flour and quickly shallow-fried in peanut oil until golden in color. The chicken is then placed in a hot oven for about 15 minutes, basted twice with a mixture of wild honey, fermented tamari, Shichimi tōgarashi and a pinch of sea salt. The finished chicken is served over organic black rice noodles and topped with chopped peanuts. The whole dish is gluten-free..
“Dating at least to the 17th century, Shichimi tōgarashi (Japanese: 七味唐辛子, “seven flavor chili pepper”) is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients:
coarsely ground red chili pepper (the main ingredient)
ground sansho (Sichuan pepper)
roasted orange peel
black sesame seed
white sesame seed
hemp seed
ground ginger
nori or aonori
Some recipes may substitute or supplement these with poppy seed, yuzu peel, rape seed or shiso.
Shichimi should be distinguished from ichimi togarashi (一味唐辛子), which is simply ground red chili pepper, and means literally “one flavor chili pepper” (ichi meaning “one”).” –Wikipedia
Like this:
Vegan Ras el Hanout Couscous with Roasted Vegetables
Organic couscous is simmered in homemade vegetable stock with Ras el Hanout until light and fluffy, then served with a medley of roasted carrots, onions, green and orange bell peppers and the season’s last ripe tomato. Topped with a dollop of harissa for a little kick..
Like this:
Mac & Cheese with Smoked Ham and Roasted Poblano
Classic comfort food on cold and rainy day.
Organic macaroni, extra sharp Vermont white cheddar, extra sharp Wisconsin yellow cheddar, caramelized onions, heirloom garlic, smoked ham, roasted poblano peppers and local, pastured half & half. Seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and Piment d’Espelette, topped with fresh breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown and bubbly..
