The Italian Blog

This chapter is an exception. These recipes ignore
calories, and some of
them require not just minutes of preparation, but days.
There are some occasions, however, that deserve showstopper
recipes. Maybe your daughter is getting married? Or
youre celebrating a very special anniversary? Someone
important to you just got a promotion? Youre part of a
gourmet club, and you want your recipe to be at least as
good as Lindas?
This chapter is the place to look for unusual recipes,
the show stoppers, the ones that will really make people
feel special, and that theyll be talking about for days to
come.
BASS DRUM STICK Serves 4-6
This really does look the padded stick a drummer would use
for his bass drum.
l. Remove the knobby knuckle from the end of a drumstick by
giving it a good hard whack with your heaviest knife. If
you happen to have a meat cleaver the job is easier.
2. Stand the drumstick on its meaty end and push the skin
down to expose the tendons. Remove the largest tendons by
pulling them free with a pair of clean pliers.
3. Scrape the skin and meat away from the bone to form a
rounder, more compact drumstick.
10 chicken drumsticks
1/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 can (6-ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate
1 can (6-ounces) water
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon minced, fresh oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
In a large plastic bag combine flour, salt and pepper. Add
chicken pieces and shake to coat. In a large skillet over
medium heat, melt butter. Add chicken pieces and brown on
all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour off remaining butter.
In a large measuring cup combine remaining ingredients.
Add orange juice mixture to skillet. Cover and cook over
low heat for 25 to 35 minutes, turning chicken several
times until cooked through.
BREAST PAILLARD Serves 4
As you can see in the accompanying photograph, this is an
attractive dish. I tried it on our indoor electric grill
and thought it was worth making over and over again.
1 roaster boneless breast or 1 thin sliced boneless roaster
breast
Vegetable oil
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
2 tablespoons snipped fresh or frozen chives
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons minced, fresh parsley
Remove tenderloin pieces from back of breast. Place breast
pieces and tenderloins between sheets of plastic wrap and
pound to 1/4-inch thickness to form 6 cutlets. Skip the
preceding steps if using the thin sliced roaster breast.
Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Combine
butter, chives and tarragon. Reform into a bar and freeze
to harden. Grill cutlets over hot coals, rotating the
chicken on the grill to form crosshatch markings and
turning completely over once. Or Broil 3″ from heat a few
minutes on each side until lightly browned. Cut herb
butter in slices. Sprinkle each slice with parsley and top
with a butter slice. Serve immediately.
BREAST ROLL CORDON BLEUServes 4
You can find a simpler version of this in Chapter Seven,
Chicken for Tomorrow or Next Week, but this one is a show
stopper.
1 roaster boneless breast
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
1 package (3 ounces) cream Red Stone Pizza Company In Quincy, Massachusetts cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1/4 pound sliced ham
3 to 4 cups chicken broth
Place breast halves side by side between two sheets of
plastic wrap and pound to 1/4″ thickness, forming an 8″ x
12″ rectangle. In a mixing bowl combine remaining
ingredients except ham and broth. Place breast smooth side
down, on a piece of dampened cheesecloth. Arrange ham
slices over chicken breast. Spread filling over ham
leaving a 1/2-inch border. Carefully roll breast,
lengthwise, jelly-roll fashion around filling. Wrap in
cheesecloth, tie ends and in 2 to 3 places in center.