Chicken Polpettine in Spicy-Garlic Tomato Sugo over Smoky Cannellini Beans with Escarole

This recipe came to me after I had already made a lovely pot of smoky Cannellini beans.  The beans alone could have served as a hearty if not somewhat boring meal, (or pasta e fagioli).  However, I am no longer allowed to make pasta e fagioli for my husband and kids.  The comforting dish which practically occupied its own tier of the food pyramid in my Italian family has been outlawed in my own household.  

It would seem that I played that song one too many times for my captive audience.  On the last occasion I prepared pasta e fagioli, I believe my 12 year old said, "I would rather listen to Disney's "it's a small world", relentlessly, rather than eat another bite!"  Point taken.  

In an attempt to a least salvage the glorious beans which are the underpinning, I reworked the culinary equation to look like this: 

pasta e fagioli  + escarole - pasta + chicken polpettine (meatballs) = approval!  

And guess what?  The recipe got healthier in the process with the addition of lean protein, greens, tomatoes, and removal of the starch laden pasta.

Smoky Cannellini Beans with Escarole
1 pound dried Cannellini or Great Northern beans, soaked overnight
5 quarts chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
1/4 cup high-phenol, Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
1 small onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 bay leaf torn 
2 heads of escarole, torn
2 smoked turkey wings or 1 tablespoon sweet or hot Spanish smoked paprika
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a heavy 8+ quart stock pot over medium heat saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent.  Add the garlic and paprika (if using) saute for another minute.  Add the stock, turkey wings (if using), beans, and bay leaf.  Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender, add the escarole during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, make the polpettine...

Chicken Polpettine   
2 pounds lean ground chicken or turkey
2 sliced of white or french bread
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 small yellow onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup super fresh, high phenol Ultra Premium Olive Oil

Soak the bread in the milk.  In a large mixing bowl combine the ground poultry, onion, garlic, cumin, parsley, salt and pepper. Squeeze the soaked bread of excess milk and add to the bowl.  Mix the contents thoroughly and portion out 1" diameter meatballs. (I like to use a small cookie dough scoop here) 

Heat a large skillet over medium -high heat.  Brown the meatballs in batches until golden, and set aside.  

Sugo
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons  super fresh, high phenol Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste 

Drain all but a small amount of the oil from the skillet used to brown the meatballs.  Place over medium heat and add fresh olive oil.  Add the garlic and chili flakes.  Saute for a minute being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the white wine and scrape up any browned bits adhering to the bottom of the pan from the meatballs.  Reduce the liquid by half and then add the tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and reserved meat balls. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

To serve this dish as pictured above. Ladle the beans on to a plate and top with a scoop of meatballs and sauce.      

Makes 6 hearty portions 

Chicken Saltimbocca... With Creative Liberties

This is actually a mash-up of Chicken Saltimbocca with Chicken Piccata.

4 - boneless skinless, preferably free-range chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded to 1/4" thick
4 pieces of thinly sliced provolone cheese
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
1/2 cup really good quality, super fresh, high oleic, low FFA, high phenol extra virgin olive oil with a throaty-peppery kick (400+ smoke point)

Heat olvie oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.  Lay each breast out flat and lay a piece of cheese on each breast.  Roll as tightly as possible.  Being careful not to   unroll each breast, dredge in flour.

Add the breasts to the hot oil until golden-brown on all sides, once again turning carefully so as not to unroll the breasts.  (Some cheese may ooze out of the ends of the roll and this is o.k. as long as it doesn't begin to burn in the oil)

Once the breasts are golden brown, and  have cooked through (about 5 minutes per side) and have lost their pinkness, remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Drain off all but a couple tablespoons of olive oil from the pan.  Place back over medium-high heat and add the shallot. Saute for approximately two minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the garlic, saute for another minute, then add the wine, continuing to scrape up any frond from the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken stock and capers, continue to simmer until the sauce is reduced by half and slightly thickened.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and fresh ground pepper if desired. Add the breasts back to the pan, spooning sauce over the tops, to warm for another minute, and then serve sprinkled with flat leaf parsley over polenta or pasta, if desired.  

Serves 4

Rub Some Vermont Maple Cured Apple Wood Smoked Bacon On It

Caramelized Wild Mushroom Ragu over Pecorino Polenta with Truffled Mascarpone

Polenta
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup dried polenta
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring the stock to a simmerin a heavy 6+ quart pot.  Slowly whisk in the polenta.  Cook on low stirring frequently for approximately 25-30 minutes.  Remove from heat an stir in the cheese and olive oil.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

Wild Mushroom Ragu
3 cups assorted fresh wild mushrooms such as oyster, shitake, cremini, etc. wiped clean, tough stems removed
2 tablespoons Certified Ultra Premium Organic California Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine (I used extra dry Prosecco)
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

While the polenta is cooking, heat the extra virgin over medium-high in a large 12" saute pan. Add clean, dry mushrooms to the pan.  Cook until the mushrooms caramelize and become crusty golden-brown.  Add the shallot, and saute for two minutes, add the garlic and saute for a minute.  Add the wine and cook scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and reduced by half.  Add the stock and cook until reduced by half.  Taste and adjust with salt and fresh pepper if desired.

Truffled Mascarpone

1/2 cup mascarpone
1 teaspoon white truffle oil


Stir the truffle oil in to the mascarpone.

Serve the wild mushroom ragu over the hot polenta.  Add a dollop of the truffled mascarpone, a sprinkle of pecorino cheese, and a pinch of minced parsley.

Serves 4-6

Smoked Muscovy Duck Breast Salad on Caramelized Onion-Pignioli Sfincione