2021 Giro d’Italia - Stage 6: Fabriano to Ascoli Piceno
The route of today’s stage, through the Marche region, had all kinds of terrain and weather. The mountain tops were under thick cloud cover and video footage was spotty as a result until the riders came back down from altitude. The Marche region is the “meaty calf” of Italy when looking at its telltale country’s boot-shaped map. About 30 kilometers into the stage, the riders were roughly 15 miles west of the provincial capital of Macerata. Macerata’s name features prominently in today’s dish: Chicken Maceratese.
I’ve adjusted the original recipe slightly as there was too much liquid in the pan, even after 2 hours of cooking, and the skin was flabby from the cooking method. However, this dish is all about the sauce developed all throughout the cook: from roasting the giblets, accumulating drippings, and the final touches at the end with egg and lemon juice. A very lovely sauce which enhances the tender, juicy chicken.
Chicken Maceratese
adapted from The Italian Regional Cookbook, Valentina Harris
~6 lb chicken, including giblets
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup of olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Chicken stock
3 eggs
Lemon
Parsley
Trim the giblets of any sinew and give a rough chop. If your chicken came without giblets, you can use 3 or 4 chicken livers, or even some anchovy paste. In a covered 12-inch skillet, heat the butter and olive oil, over medium heat, with the giblets for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, season the chicken with sea salt and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and sear the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side, starting with the breast-side down. Add in enough chicken stock to come about 1/3 of the way up the skillet, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Gently simmer the chicken for about 90-120 minutes, until the breast registers 160 degrees. You may need to add additional stock along the way if the pan gets dry (check after an hour of cooking).
When cooked, remove the chicken and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Preheat the broiler.
While the chicken rests, uncover the skillet and increase the heat to thicken and reduce any pan drippings. Meanwhile, whisk together the grated rind and juice from half a lemon with the eggs. Take some of the pan drippings and whisk into the egg mixture to temper the eggs, then whisk the eggs into the pan to thicken and finish the sauce. Reserve.
When the chicken has cooled, place it on a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven, under the broiler to crisp up the skin, for about 5 minutes.
Carve and slice the chicken and serve with sauce, a sprinkle of minced parsley and some lemon slices.
______________________________ Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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