Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen_ An Indesp - Tyler Florence [36]
Chicken Cacciatore
2 hours
Chicken Cacciatore is a dish that time has forgotten. It’s simple, rustic, and truly Italian, and my buddy Frankie DeCarlo likes it, too. I would serve this with Soft Polenta. If cutting up a chicken intimidates you, buy precut pieces or have the guy at the meat counter do it for you—that’s his job, right?
Serves 6
6 red bell peppers
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 egg
2 cups milk
1 (3½-pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces 6 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
1 onion, sliced thin
2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
½ lemon, sliced in paper-thin circles
3 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ bunch fresh basil, hand-torn (¼ bunch to flavor the base, ¼ bunch to finish the dish)
1 cup dry white wine
Start by preparing the peppers because they will take the longest. Preheat the broiler. Pull out the cores of the red peppers; then halve them lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds. Toss the peppers with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them on a cookie sheet, skin side up, and broil for 10 minutes, until really charred and blistered. Put the peppers into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and steam for about 10 minutes to loosen the skins. Peel the red peppers and roughly chop them into chunks; set aside.
Season the flour with the garlic powder, dried oregano, and a fair amount of salt and pepper. Whisk the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and tap off the excess. Dip each piece in the egg wash to coat and then dredge with the flour again. Place a Dutch oven over medium heat and pour in about ¼ inch of oil. Pan-fry the chicken in batches, skin side down, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brown the other side about 10 minutes longer. Remove the chicken to a side plate, pour out the oil, and clean out the pot.
Put the pot back on the stove and coat with ¼ cup of oil. Add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, lemon slices, anchovies, capers, red pepper flakes, half the roasted red peppers, and half the basil. Season with salt and pepper. This part of the recipe is going to be your base. What we are looking for is a fragrant vegetable pulp, so simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until everything breaks down. (I know it’s good, but keep your spoon out of it.)
Add the remaining roasted peppers and the remaining basil. Tuck the chicken into the stewed peppers and pour in the wine. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
Maine Lobster Boil
with Drawn Lemon Butter
40 minutes
This is an easy recipe for a late summer backyard feast. Steamed lobster, lemony butter, and a few cold beers: That’s love. Special equipment needed: kitchen shears, tongs, crackers, bibs, and a napkin to wipe your chin.
Serves 4
Lobsters
1 gallon water
½ bunch fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
2 lemons, halved
4 live lobsters, about 2 pounds each (see Note)
Drawn Lemon Butter
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lemon
Make a tasty cooking broth by combining the water, thyme, and bay leaves in a very big pot. Squeeze the lemon juice into the water and then drop in the empty rinds. Bring the pot up to a high boil. Plunge the lobsters into the boiling water, cover, and boil for 15 minutes. The lobster shells will be bright red and the tails will be curled when they are done.
While the lobsters cook, make the lemon butter. Heat the butter in a small pot over low heat. Warm it up gently so the milk solids begin to cook and sink to the bottom of the pot. Keep a close watch because once the milk solids