POLLO IN TECIA
PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN
This is a humble dish that’s very common in Veneto. Poultry and rabbits have always been kept on the land of the lagoon. Chicken was the Sunday meal of our great-grandparents, and also of my childhood. This ruspante (free-range) chicken is served roasted with potatoes or polenta to mop up all the juices!
SERVES 6 PREPARATION TIME : 20 MINUTES COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR
1 large free-range chicken, cut into 8 pieces
80 ml (21/2 fl oz/1/3 cup) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
50 g (13/4 oz) pancetta, chopped
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 rosemary stalks
10 sage leaves
80 ml (21/2 fl oz/1/3 cup) white wine
185 ml (6 fl oz/3/4 cup) hot home-made vegetable stock, or use an organic stock cube
THE POTATOES
21/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, halved
2 rosemary stalks
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) potatoes, washed, dried and cut into small chunks
Brown the chicken pieces on high heat in a large cast-iron pot with 2 tablespoons of oil (you can drain off the fat). Set aside. Sauté the onion in the same pot with the remaining oil on medium heat and add the pancetta, garlic, celery, the herbs and chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Add the white wine and let it evaporate for a few minutes. Add the hot stock and lower the heat. Simmer covered for 40 minutes on medium heat (take out the chicken breasts after 20 minutes). Keep the chicken warm and reduce the sauce on low heat before serving.
To make the potatoes: Heat the oil on medium heat in a large frying pan with the chopped onion, garlic and rosemary. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the potato and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Season with salt. Serve the chicken on the potato.
VARIATION: CHICKEN WITH TOMATO
Add a 300 g (101/2 oz) tin of peeled tomatoes, a good Italian brand such as San Marzano, and reduce the amount of stock.