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Arts & Entertainment

Making (and Tweaking) a Recipe From The North End Italian Cookbook

"Taste as you go along."

Reading blogs is a bit of an addiction for me and I come across a lot of cookbook suggestions. I started jotting them down and came up with a nice Christmas wish list. Lucky for me, I got most of them!

Today, I'm going to share my experience of making a recipe from The North End Italian Cookbook by Marguerite DiMino Buonopane. Out of all the cookbooks I received, this one reminds me the most of old school Italian cooking and so of course, it reminds me of my grandmother. I know she'd like this recipe as long as I left out the butter. She claimed she was allergic but I'm not so sure that was true. Nanny was funny like that.

The dish was delicious and I only made some minor changes. I used two cloves of garlic instead of one, I used chicken cutlets instead of breasts, used half the amount of butter, and used a little less Romano cheese than called for.  Since I used cutlets, the chicken wasn't as big so I didn't think I needed that much cheese. I really like the flavor of browned mushrooms so I sauteed them first and added the wine once they reached my desired color.  If you chose to make yours this way try not to disturn the mushrooms until they begin to brown. Next time I'll use half the amount of wine because it was really strong and I had to dilute it with chicken stock. That's why it's always very important to taste as you go along and you can't hold a recipe to timing and  amounts. Using a different size pot or pan could  change the cooking time, using a different brand of stock or wine could change the flavor as well. 

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Here is the recipe. My notes and changes are  in italics.

Chicken Braciolettini with Mushroom and Wine Sauce
by Marguerite DiMino Buonopane

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Serves 6 (If using small chicken cutlets like I did, you'll want to serve two per person)

Ingredients:

  • 6 large boneless chicken breasts (I used chicken cutlets)
  • 1 large garlic clove (I used two)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (I used a little less)
  • 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella or fontina cheese
  • 1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
  • 6 thin slices prosciutto or ham
  • 1 stick butter (I used half a stick)
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 cup Madeira or Marsala wine (I recommend cutting it in half)
  • 1/2 pound whole button mushrooms or thinly sliced large mushrooms

Directions:
(You can scroll through the pictures to see each step.)

1.  Have butcher pound the meat slightly to break the tendons, or use the flat side of a heavy meat cleaver to do so yourself. 

2.  Lay the flat pieces of chicken on a smooth clean surface.  Using a garlic press, squeeze the garlic clove.  With your fingertips, transfer these particles to the cutlet pieces.  Sprinkle black pepper, grated cheese, shredded cheese, and parsley all over the chicken.  Cover each breast with a slice of prosciutto or ham.  Roll each breast jelly-roll style, carefully tucking in all loose ends.  Secure with toothpicks–use the same number for each breast (so you know if you removed them all before serving).

3.  Heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and brown well all over. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated, 350 degree oven or until the chicken is cooked moist-tender. (If using chicken cutlets, You don't have to bake the chicken. Just set the chicken aside and go on to the next step of making the sauce.

4.  To make sauce, drain the fat from the skillet and return unwashed pan to stove on medium heat, scraping all browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. (I prefer to add my mushrooms here, instead of in step 5, sauteing with a small amount of oil or butter. Browning them adds another depth of flavor.)

5.  Raise the heat to high and pour in the wine, stirring well. Add the mushrooms and cook 1 more minute, shaking skillet. If the sauce appears too thin, sprinkle with some flour and cook, stirring well until it reaches your desired thickness. If more sauce is desired, add some chicken broth and more wine.

6.  ( If you baked the chicken), remove the chicken from the oven, then carefully remove all toothpicks, and transfer to a warm serving platter. Pour the hot sauce on top.  Sprinkle with the reserved tablespoon of chopped parsley.  To serve, cut meat in thick slices and coat with sauce and mushrooms.

( If you did not bake the chicken, add the rolls back to sauce, then toss to coat. Put cover on and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken, to cook chicken through. I didn't slice the chicken since the pieces were small but served two over a bed of risotto topped with the mushroom sauce.)  

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My Italian Grandmother is a weekly column from Michele Brigante, an accomplished home cook who draws inspiration from her first cooking teacher–her Italian grandmother. Join her every week and she will walk you through a recipe you never thought you could manage. Some are original recipes, some are adapted from cookbooks–we can't wait to try them.

Michele is from Morris Plains, and when she's not whipping up delicious dishes, she works as a design consultant for Willow House

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