L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano F o r c e n t u r i e s , U m b r i a n s h a v e considered gam e a great delica- c y . B e s i d e s t h e more famous wild boar, you might find pheasant, pigeon, or guinea fowl taking the center stage in the menu of an exclusive dinner. On the other hand, visi- t o r s a r e o f t e n s u r p r i s e d t h a t c h i c k e n i s q u i t e uncommon in restaurants in Umbria unless they cater specifically to tourists. In our tradition, chicken is home food and there is no need to bother to go out to eat it. Grandma's Sunday chicken is unbeatable anyway. As a teenager, I went daily with my mother to Perugia's central market to help her shop before she went to her office, and I to school. This way we had our daily supply of fresh bread, eggs, meat, and vegetables. In the mid- 70s, pre-cooked or frozen food was hardly available. My mother was especially particular about the quality of meat and poultry. To this d a y , I c a n h a r d l y b r i n g myself to buy meat from the supermarket because I do not know the butcher. She had befriended one of those rosy-cheeked guys who w o u l d t e l l h e r : " M a d a m , today you don't want chick- en, you want guinea fowl." And she would oblige, know- ing that what was on offer would not shrink to half its size in the pan, releasing excess water and fat. On the contrary, it would be fresh, tasty, and easy to prepare LETIZIA MATTIACCI with a handful of herbs and a little patience. This was her recipe for g a m e b i r d s , w h i c h w o r k s beautifully with chicken pro- vided that you chose a bird of excellent quality, with both white and dark meat on the bone and organic. Ingredients (Serves 3-4): • 1/2 free-range chicken (about 1 kg / 2 lb) cut into serving pieces • 1 onion, sliced • 2-3 cloves of garlic, very finely minced • 1 tablespoon of capers • 4 tablespoons of good quality olives with pit • 1 sprig of rosemary • 1 handful of sage leaves • 1 cup of dry white wine • z e s t a n d j u i c e o f 1 / 4 lemon • 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar • extra-virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper Using a large non-stick pan, sear the chicken pieces o n m e d i u m h e a t i n o n e tablespoon of olive oil until golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate and wipe the pan clean before proceeding. Turn the heat to low, add one teaspoon of oil, return the chicken to the pan, add the onions, and stir frequent- ly until caramelized. Add the minced garlic, capers, olives, rosemary, and sage leaves. Season with just a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. After a couple of minutes, when everything smells fra- grant, add one cup of wine, cover, and simmer very slow- ly until the chicken is tender. Add some water if the sauce gets too dry while simmer- ing. It's difficult to provide an accurate cooking time as it d e p e n d s o n t h e s i z e a n d quality of the bird. If you are cooking for guests, it would be better to make the dish well in advance as it might take 45 min. to 1 and 1/2 hours to cook. W h e n r e a d y t o s e r v e , reheat if necessary, then add the lemon juice and zest and the balsamic vinegar. Taste a n d a d d m o r e l e m o n i f desired, as it brings out the flavor of all the other ingre- dients. This recipe is lovely served with a side of steamed greens dressed with a fruity olive oil and a splash of lemon juice, and homemade mash pota- t o e s o r p o l e n t a . I t a l i a n s would never serve it on pasta or rice. L e t i z i a M a t t i a c c i i s a cookbook author and owner of Alla Madonna del Piatto C o o k i n g S c h o o l a n d A g r i t u r i s m o i n A s s i s i , U m b r i a , h t t p s : / / i n c a m - pagna.com. This recipe has been previously published in M r s . M a t t i a c c i c o o k b o o k entitled "A Kitchen with a view." Chicken alla cacciatora without tomatoes is enriched with fresh herbs (Photo: Letizia Mattiacci) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES A twist on a classic: tomato-less pollo alla cacciatora

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