Savoy Chicken Stew (not a cabbage in sight!)

A classic Umbrian dish brought to us again through the pages of Ursula Ferrigno's Trattoria  and for those who know what this blog is meant to be achieving (working my way through 100+ cookery books to justify their space on my shelf) I can only defend myself by saying that if I return more than once to a book then it is most definately a keeper!

Not the best of photo's Im afraid, it was a bit of a rushed last minute 'aargh I forgot to take a picture' moment!

serves 4 -5

1 x 1.5kg free range chicken cut into 16 pieces (how do you do that? I only ever manage to get 12 pieces max when chopping up a chook)

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 medium onion, peeled and coarsley chopped

1 small carrot, ditto the above

1/2 celery stalk, you've guessed it, chopped

1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves

85mls olive oil

2 small hot red chillies, seeded and chopped

salt & pepper (fresh ground of course)

175ml dry white wine

250ml canned tomatoes (that is one standard can)

Combine all your garlic, rosemary, onion, carrot & celery in a food processor and blend to a course puree. Keep for later.

Heat a large, heavy based pan over a medium to high heat and add all the chicken pieces. Cover and cook for 15mins, turning every so often until the chicken has rendered all it's fat and water and become golden.  Remove the liquid from the pan (I usually drain it into the stockpot which will be simmering with the leftover bits of chicken carcass, i'e the backbone, by now).

Return the chicken to the pan and pour over the olive oil, add the chillies and seasoning and then spoon over your vegetable puree.  Cover and simmer for 20mins.

Pour over the wine, simmer 15mins more.

Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for a further 15 mins.  Taste and season if needed.

Serve, I love to serve this with potatoes you see pictured. They are from the same book and have become one of our family's favourites. They are simply called

Crispy Roast Potatoes

to serve 4

2lb floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 x 1.5" chunks

1oz butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1tbsp fine dried breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 200c

Fill a large pan with potates and cold water. Bring to the boil and boil for 2 mins. Drain.

Combine the oil, butter and rosemary in a large hob/oven proof dish that fits them in one layer. Heat over a high heat till butter melted and then add the potatoes and saute till beginning to brown. Season well and stir in the breadcrumbs. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20-30 mins till crusty without and creamy and soft within. Serve immediately.





At Elizabeth David's Table, not Jenny's :)

Today we are dipping for the first time in to a book written in honour of the late, great, Elizabeth David.  I had been aware she was a 'Food Hero (ine)' of the likes of Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Rose Gray etc but had never really come across any of her books until last year when her very best everyday recipes were compiled into the book At Elizabeth David's Table.  Complete with lovely pictures, which are absent in her original books. So of course I had to have it!

So after my first succesful foray into the wonderful world of Gnocchi with the Ricotta Gnocchi I was keen to try out more and came across today's recipe in the above book. It was not a disappointment, in fact it was very lovely and I wanted to share it....

GNOCCHI VERDI

Serves 4 as starter/ 3 as lunch.

Start making this the day before you want to eat it!

250g spinach cooked, drained well and patted dry, chopped finely. (original recipe says 500g but as I only had 250g I went with that and it worked and can't see how you would need more!)

250g ricotta

2 eggs

3tbs flour

45g grated parmesan

butter,salt, pepper and freshly ground nutmeg

to finish -

60g butter and plenty parmesan

Put your cooked spinach in a pan with the ricotta and a knob of butter and season well with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Stir all the ingredients together over a low flame for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, beat in the eggs, flour and parmesan. Leave in the fridge overnight.

When your ready to use, flour a board and roll out your mixture and shape into Gnocchi. It's quite a soft dough so take small amounts at a time to work with, makes life easier.  When they are ready drop into simmering salted water and cook till they rise to the top. Do it in batches rather than overcrowding your pan.  Have an ovenproof dish ready with 30g melted butter and a light sprinkling of parmesan and drop your Gnocchi into it as they are ready.  Once all are done dot another 30g butter over the top and a generous sprinkling of parmesan.  Put in a warm oven for 5 mins and if you want a crispier finish just pop under the grill for a minute or too after they are out the oven.

Enjoy, we did, will be making this one again too!