Beef, veal, chicken, pork, lamb and rabbit are the standard recipes that we will be looking at. Other fowl and game will follow on a later date.

Obviously veal dishes figure predominantly in all the fine Italian dining establishments. There are two types of veal. Milk fed which is very tender and slightly more expensive then grain fed veal. You pay for what you get.

A little secret. My husband owned a gourmet italian restaurant in the early nineties and learned one important thing amongst his best chefs. A small ingredient that kept going into all the meat dishes. The name of this ingredient is stock. Add a little to every meat dish for a five star taste.

Stock

10 pounds soup bones, the meatier the better. Use a combination of beef and veal bones.

3 large carrots.
2 good size onions
4 cloves fresh garlic
fresh parsley
1 box mushrooms
bay leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse, peel and chop the carrots, onions and garlic. Distribute the vegetables on a oven pan and lay the bones on top. Roast 2 hours until browned, turning over a few times. Take out of oven and and fill a pot half full of water and drop everything and let simmer over low heat at least two hours.

Strain the stock through a fine strainer and then refrigerate. Throw away remnants or make a soup that evening and strain for broth.

After the stock has chilled for a few hours, peel off the fat and you have pure stock for adding to all meats when cooking.

BRODO DI VITELLO

Veal Stock

MAKES 1 1/2 QUARTS

Homemade stocks can be the building blocks of flavor for so many dishes. For rich veal stock, keep a supply of inexpensive veal shoulder bones in the freezer. Veal stock provides a light flavor for mushroom- and pasta-based dishes such as Pappardelle con Vitello.

2 pounds veal bones
1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
1 large onion, unpeeled, quartered
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 large bay leaf
1 rib celery, cut in half
1 cup hot water
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously oil a roasting pan. Add all the ingredients except the water and salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until the veal bones are nicely browned. Transfer all of the ingredients to a large soup pot.

Pour the hot water into the roasting pan and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits remaining in the pan. Add this liquid to the soup pot along with enough water to just cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the bones and strain the stock through a cheesecloth-lined colander set over a bowl. Press hard on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract all the juices. Discard the solids. Season the stock with salt and pepper. The stock is ready to use. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Chicken Recipes

Chicken Parmigiano con pasta pomodoro

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken breast (32 onz.)
Bread crumbs
Salt, pepper, basil
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Mozzarela cheese
Parmigiano grated cheese
Tomato sauce recipe (pasta section)
2 eggs
500 grams spaghettini

1• Cut the chicken breast in two semi thin layers.
2• Pound them gently with a wooden kitchen sledge.
3• Place bread crumbs in a large plate.
4• Beat eggs in a soup bowl and mix in salt, pepper and basil to your liking.
5• Pass each piece of chicken breast through the egg batter.
6• Bread each side gently.
7• Heat pan with 1/4 cup vegetable oil until hot and then cook the breaded chicken until lightly browned.
8• Once all of the chicken is cooked heat the oven to 350 degrees and cover the cooked chicken with mozzarella cheese and grated parmigiano and insert in oven until the cheese is melted.
9• Meanwhile you are cooking the pasta and once the chicken is ready add a touch of tomato sauce for colour and add the pasta.
Bonne appetit. Elena

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Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil 15 mL
6 chicken thighs, skin removed 6
pinch each salt and pepper pinch
1 large onion, chopped 1
2 each carrots and celery stalks, sliced 2
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 375 mL
1 cup chopped green pepper 250 mL
3 garlic cloves, minced 3
1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano 2 mL
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1 mL
1/4 cup white wine (optional) 50 mL
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) tomatoes
2 tbsp tomatoe paste 25 mL
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 50 mL
1 lb spaghetti 450 g

Description:
1• In dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken thighs evenly with salt and pepper; brown each side 4 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
2• Reduce heat to medium; add onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, green pepper and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until carrots are almost tender. Stir in basil, oregano and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3• Stir in wine (if using), tomatoes and tomato paste; return chicken to pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and cook 15 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in parsley.
4• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta 8-10 minutes, or until tender but firm. Drain pasta and toss with 1 cup (250 mL) of sauce. Place pasta on serving platter and top with remaining sauce and chicken.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 55 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Bonne appetit. Elena

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Chicken Marsala (Pollo alla Marsala)

This dish was made famous with the growing Marsala wine industry during the nineteenth century.

Veal Marsala probably originated among western Sicily's English families. Real Sicilian Marsala is the only wine we recommend for use in preparing Chicken Marsala.

Ingredients:

• Two large chicken breasts sliced into thin pieces (an equal quantity of turkey breast or lean veal may be substituted).
• 1 bottle of marsala wine (either dry or sweet according to preference).
• Whole or white flour
• Refined olive oil for cooking
• 50 grams of capers
• Juice of one large lemon
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper.

Preparation:

• Over medium heat, warm several tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan for a few seconds, being careful not to burn the oil.
• Generously coat chicken pieces with flour and place in pan, turning occasionally.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add juice of one lemon.
• When the chicken is essentially cooked, carefully pour a half bottle of marsala wine over it, stirring the mixture gently.
• Allow alcohol to evaporate as sauce thickens. This may take about two minutes.
• Add the parsley when it's almost done. If you prefer a thicker sauce, add a little flour.
• Add capers last or sprinkle them over the chicken as a garnish. Serves four to six.

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Chicken Poultry Stuffing (Ripieno alla Nissena)

The residents of Caltanissetta, a small city in central Sicily, are called Nisseni, and their mountainous region is famous for meat and poultry dishes. This simple recipe offers a pleasant alternative to meat-based chicken or turkey filling. Since the size of poultry, and measurements by volume, can vary, we'll describe these by proportion. (Whether you're in the UK, the US, Brasil, Australia or Japan, this makes the precise size of a measuring cup irrelevant.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely chopped white or yellow onions

• 1 cup grated hard Italian cheese (pecorino, made from sheep's milk, is preferred)

• 1 cup "southern style" bread crumbs (including the ground crust; "northern style" Italian bread crumbs are made without the bread's crust)

• One half cup chopped fresh parsley

• 2 medium-size eggs (or 1 extra large one)

• One-half teaspoon ground white pepper (black pepper may be substituted)

• 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil, salt to taste.

Preparation:

• Mix the ingredients in a large bowl, kneading the mixture until it's uniform in consistency.

• Add a little water if necessary to make it more workable. Then stuff the mixture into the cavity of the chicken or turkey before roasting.

• In Sicily, the chicken is sometimes garnished with fresh rosemary, and Marsala wine is poured over it at several points during the baking.

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